Association Areas Figure 57-4 also shows several large areas of the cerebral cortex that do not
fit into the rigid categories of primary and secondary motor and sensory areas. These areas are called
association areas because they receive and analyze signals simultaneously from multiple regions of
both the motor and sensory cortices, as well as from subcortical structures. Yet even the association
areas have their specializations.
1. Analysis of the Spatial Coordinates of the Body. An area beginning in the posterior
parietal cortex and extending into the superior occipital cortex provides continuous analysis of the
spatial coordinates of all parts of the body, as well as of the surroundings of the body. This area
receives visual sensory information from the posterior occipital cortex and simultaneous
somatosensory information from the anterior parietal cortex. From all this information, it computes the
coordinates of the visual, auditory, and body surroundings.
