If someone's motor cortex is destroyed (by a stroke, for example), he or she loses the ability to make precise movements, especially of the hands and fingers. Learning of new movements is not strongly affected by damage to the cerebral cortex. The memory of motor sequences learned previously is also largely spared, though these movements will be executed more clumsily. These observations show that it is the cerebellum rather than the cortex that plays an important role in learning and remembering of movements, also known as procedural memory.

Area 4 of the precentral gyrus is not the only area in the cortex that contributes to the pyramidal system. But is the one where movements can be successfully triggered by lower-intensity electrical stimuli. In other words, electrical stimuli that are insufficient to produce movements when applied to other areas of the cortex are sufficient to do so when applied to Area 4.

The functions of the basal ganglia are complex and still largely unknown. People who have Parkinson's disease, characterized by trembling and by difficulty in initiating movements, show a deficiency of dopamine in their basal ganglia. Because these structures play an important role in determining various aspects of movement, their malfunctioning results in the motor problems associated with Parkinson's disease.

Some abnormalities also are found in the basal ganglia of people who have Huntington's Disease or Tourette Syndrome. These patients experience involuntary movements that cause all sorts of grimaces, tics, and spasms.

The cerebellum also appears to play a major role in learning how to co-ordinate the various segments of the body. The movement of each segment of your body affects the next, because of its mass. The cerebellum therefore apparently learns how to calibrate its commands to the muscles in terms of strength and duration in order to correct in advance for the effects of these interactions along the path of motion.

"I move, therefore I am a self, (I think)."

- Rodolfo Llinas

The brain mechanisms that go into planning and executing a movement are far more complex than the motor cortex's simply issuing a command and the motor neurons' executing it.

For example, suppose that you go to pick up a glass of water that you think is cool and refreshing, but is actually boiling hot. As soon as you touch the glass, you pull your hand back immediately, by reflex, without thinking about it.

But suppose that next, your child tries to grab this glass, which you already know is hot. In this case, because your child's safety is so important to you, you can consciously overcome the reflex to pull your hand away. Instead, using your voluntary motor control, you grab the glass yourself and put it where your child can't reach it.

Lastly, if someone tells you that the glass is made of fine crystal and not ordinary glass, you will probably handle it more carefully. In other words, your brain will take this information into account and adapt your method of grasping the glass accordingly.

All of these facts demonstrate that the execution of a movement is not simply a matter of the brain's sending a "Go!" command to some motor neurons in the spinal cord, but rather the result of a highly elaborate construct. Moreover. the remarkable adaptability of motor activity demonstrates the involvement of powerful regulatory and feedback mechanisms.