The
premotor cortex is an area of
motor cortex lying within the
frontal lobe of the
brain just anterior to the
primary motor cortex. It occupies part of Brodmann's area 6. It has been studied mainly in primates, including monkeys and humans. The functions of the premotor cortex are diverse and not fully understood. It projects directly to the
spinal cord and therefore may play a role in the direct control of behavior, with a relative emphasis on the
trunk muscles of the body. It may also play a role in planning movement, in the spatial guidance of movement, in the sensory guidance of movement, in understanding the actions of others, and in using abstract rules to perform specific tasks. Different subregions of the premotor cortex have different properties and presumably emphasize different functions.