the brain has several areas that project directly to the spinal cord. at the highest level is the primary motor cortex. this is a strip of tissue at the back of the frontal lobe. this tissue sends a massive projection directly to the spinal cord, through the pyramidal tract. this allows for precise voluntary control of the fine details of movements. there are other brain areas which affect movement. among the most important secondary areas are the premotor cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum.