Anatomical Presentation Of The Brodmann Areas, Superior View

Description

Brodmann areas are labeled across the dorsal cerebral hemispheres in a superior (vertex) view, with the longitudinal fissure dividing left and right cortex along the midline. Anterior to the central sulcus, the precentral gyrus carries primary motor cortex (BA 4), while the postcentral gyrus immediately posterior holds primary somatosensory cortex (BA 3, 1, 2). Superior parietal cortex is parcelled into association territories (commonly BA 5 and BA 7) extending posteriorly along the parietal convexity toward the parieto-occipital region, and medial superior frontal cortex adjacent to the midline corresponds to premotor and supplementary motor areas (BA 6). This top-down mapping matters because many functional boundaries used in neurology and neurosurgery track these gyral and sulcal landmarks, and small shifts across the central sulcus can change a label from motor to sensory cortex. Motor homunculus territory for the lower limb lies close to the interhemispheric fissure on the medial surface, so anterior cerebral artery infarcts often produce contralateral leg weakness that correlates well with the medial extent of BA 4 and BA 6. Surface-based Brodmann annotation also supports preoperative planning for tumor resection or epilepsy surgery, where cortical stimulation and functional MRI are commonly discussed using BA numbers as shared shorthand. Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology courses use this illustration to teach cortical parcellation alongside the central sulcus, postcentral gyrus, and superior parietal lobule, and it fits cleanly into lecture slides on sensorimotor integration. Neurology, neuroradiology, and neurosurgical publications can place the image next to deficits such as contralateral hemiparesis, cortical sensory loss, or neglect, linking exam findings to BA 4 versus BA 3,1,2 and to parietal association cortex. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.