Large scale cortical networks for controlling motor and cognitive motor functions

Cortical functions result from the conjoint function of different, reciprocally connected areas working together as large-scale functionally specialized networks. Architectonic, connectional, and functional data have provided evidence for functionally specialized large-scale cortical networks of the macaque brain involving temporal, parietal, and frontal areas. These networks appear to play a primary role in controlling different aspects of motor and cognitive motor functions, such as hand action organization and recognition, or oculomotor behavior and gaze processing. Based on comparison of these data with data from human studies, it is possible to argue that there is clear evidence for human counterparts of these networks. These human and macaque putatively homologue networks appear to share phylogenetically older neural mechanisms, which in the evolution of the human lineage could have been exploited and differentiated resulting in the emergence of human-specific functions higher-order cognitive functions