Neocortex
- Structure: Six-layered cortex of the brain
- Function: Higher order brain functions such as sensory perception, cognition, generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning, and language
- Size: Largest part of the human brain
- Evolution: Highly developed in mammals
- Plasticity: Ability to reorganize by forming new neural connections
- Regions: Divided into functional areas for different modalities (e.g., visual, auditory, somatosensory)
Übersicht
Der Neocortex bildet den evolutionär neusten Teil des Gehirns und Layer 3. In diesem laufen unsere rationalen Gedanken und Verhaltensweisen zusammen.
Unterschiede in den Regionen
Die Verbindung zum limbic System
Difference between neocortex and cerebral cortex
The neocortex and the cerebral cortex are terms often used interchangeably, but they refer to slightly different aspects of the brain’s anatomy:
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Cerebral Cortex: Refers to the outermost layer of the brain, covering the cerebrum. It is involved in numerous high-level brain functions, including thought, memory, attention, cognition, and consciousness. The cerebral cortex is divided into two hemispheres and consists of four main lobes: frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital.
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Neocortex: A part of the cerebral cortex that is characterized by its six distinct layers of neurons. It represents the newest part of the cerebral cortex in terms of evolution (hence “neo” meaning new). The neocortex is responsible for the higher-order brain functions such as sensory perception, cognition, spatial reasoning, and language. It covers the majority of the cerebral cortex, but not all of it; some parts of the cerebral cortex, like the hippocampus, are part of the allocortex, which has fewer layers.
Key Difference: The neocortex is a subset of the cerebral cortex, specifically referring to the six-layered regions of the cortex that are involved in higher-order functions. The cerebral cortex includes both the neocortex and older, less complex regions like the allocortex.