Brodmann’s area
an area of cerebral cortex characterized by variation in the occurrence and arrangement of cells (see cytoarchitecture) from that of neighboring areas. These areas are identified by numbers and in many cases have been associated with specific brain functions, such as area 17 (striate cortex, or primary visual cortex), areas 18 and 19 (prestriate cortex), area 4 (motor area), and area 6 (premotor area). Brodmann’s original map of 1909 identified 47 different cortical areas, but investigators have refined the mapping to identify more than 200 distinctive cortical areas. Also called Brodmann’s cytoarchitectonic area. [Korbinian Brodmann (1868–1918), German neurologist]