Motor maps and the cortical control of movement

•Review of cortical properties that dictate the organization of motor maps.•Comparison of natural and stimulus-evoked cortical activity.•Discussion of novel experimental techniques for motor mapping.

The brain's cortical maps serve as a macroscopic framework upon which additional levels of detail can be overlaid. Unlike sensory maps generated by measuring the brain's responses to incoming stimuli, motor maps are made by directly stimulating the brain itself. To understand the significance of motor maps and the functions they represent, it is necessary to consider the relationship between the natural operation of the motor system and the pattern of activity evoked in it by artificial stimulation. We review recent findings from the study of the cortical motor system and new insights into the control of movement based on its mapping within cortical space.