Motor planning areas: premotor, supplementary and specialised fields
- Concept
- For completeness
In front of the primary motor strip, other areas plan movements, sequence them and aim the eyes and head.
Also called: Premotor cortex, Supplementary motor area, Frontal eye field
See it in 3D: Motor cortex · Frontal lobe · Broca's area
What it is
The primary motor cortex executes; the areas in front of it plan. The premotor area builds learned and sensory-guided movement patterns, the supplementary motor area organizes internally generated sequences and two-handed actions, and specialised fields control speech, voluntary gaze, head turning and skilled hand use. Motor cortex output is organized in columns and constantly corrected by sensory feedback.
Key facts
- Primary motor cortex neurons are arranged in vertical columns; a column controls a functional group of muscles rather than one muscle.
- Spindle, tendon and skin receptors feed back to motor cortex; if a movement is resisted, cortical output rises to complete it (a transcortical loop).
- Mirror neurons in premotor cortex fire both when an action is performed and when it is watched, which may help learning by imitation.
Motor planning fields
| Area | Role | Lesion sign |
|---|---|---|
| Premotor | Learned and visually guided patterns | Difficulty with complex learned movements (apraxia) |
| Supplementary motor | Self-started sequences, both hands together | Reduced initiation, transient mutism, alien hand |
| Frontal eye field | Voluntary gaze to opposite side | Eyes deviate toward the lesion |
| Head rotation area | Turns head with the eyes | Poor voluntary head turning |
| Hand skill area | Fine skilled hand movement | Motor apraxia of the hand |
| Broca | Motor planning of speech | Non-fluent (expressive) aphasia |
Clinical notes
- In a large frontal stroke the eyes look toward the side of the lesion and away from the paralyzed limbs.
- Ideomotor apraxia: the patient cannot pantomime a familiar action on command, although strength and understanding are preserved.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
After a right frontal stroke, which way do the eyes deviate, and why?
To the right: the intact left frontal eye field pushes gaze to the right without opposition.
Which area is especially active when a person performs a self-initiated movement sequence from memory?
The supplementary motor area on the medial frontal surface.
What are the dynamic and static signals of motor cortex output?
A burst of firing at movement onset that starts contraction quickly, followed by a lower sustained rate that holds the force.
Connections
See it in 3D3
The structures of Durgical's 3D anatomy where it happens.
Educational physiology content; not a diagnostic or treatment guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. Values are approximate references. No doses are given.
Sources: Neuroanatomy, Precentral Gyrus (StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf), 2025); Neuroanatomy, Frontal Cortex (StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf), 2025); Neuroanatomy, Broca Area (StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf), 2025).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.