Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM)

Structural and Functional Organisation of the Brain (INM-1)

With new brain maps, the eye fields can be located more precisely

Researchers have conducted a detailed study and re-mapping of the so-called premotor cortex in the brain, which controls movements and cognitive processes. The new maps have enabled the precise localization of the anatomical correlates of the so-called eye fields for the first time. These new findings enhance imaging precision and may help improve clinical applications. The study by researchers from INM-1 and the Cécile and Oskar Institute for Brain Research at the University Hospital Düsseldorf has now been published in Communications Biology.

The functions in which the premotor cortex is involved often cannot be clearly attributed to specific microscopic structures. The researchers therefore analyzed the cellular architecture in this area using cell body-stained tissue sections and an observer-independent mapping method, and calculated maps that visualize the locations of brain regions three-dimensionally. They identified seven new areas, which can be divided into two groups — three areas are located above a prominent furrow in the frontal lobe (sulcus frontalis superior) and four below it. The areas above and below the sulcus differ not only in their microscopic structure but also functionally.

Mit neuen Hirnkarten lassen sich die Augenfelder besser lokalisieren — Cell architecture of areas of the premotor cortex with the corresponding GLI (Grey Level Index) profiles.

Comparison of the new maps with functional studies showed that the eye fields are not, as often assumed, located in the prefrontal cortex but rather in the premotor cortex. There, they participate in the conscious control of smooth pursuit eye movements and visual attention.

The new maps are freely available in the Julich-Brain Atlas. Julich-Brain is a central element of the digital research platform EBRAINS. With the maps and digital tools available there, the functions of the various motor areas can be studied even more precisely in the future, for example in imaging studies of healthy subjects or patients with lesions or tumors.

Original publication:
Ruland, S.H., Sigl, B., Stangier, J. et al. Revised cytoarchitectonic mapping of the human premotor cortex identifies seven areas and refines the localisation of frontal eye fields. Commun Biol 8, 1143 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08528-4