How do association areas in the cerebral cortex works?
Association areas function to produce a meaningful perceptual experience of the world, enable us to interact effectively, and support abstract thinking and language. The parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes – all located in the posterior part of the cortex – organize sensory information into a coherent perceptual model of our environment centered on our body image. The frontal lobe or prefrontal association complex is involved in planning actions and movement, as well as abstract thought. Our language abilities are localized to the association areas of the parietal-temporal-occipital complex, typically in the left hemisphere. Wernicke’s area relates to understanding language while Broca’s area relates to its use. We also use the cerebral cortex for motor skills and sensory.
