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Related Experiment Videos

Somatosensory processing in the human inferior prefrontal cortex.

Matthew C Hagen1, David H Zald, Tricia A Thornton

  • 1Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417, USA.

Journal of Neurophysiology
|September 3, 2002
PubMed
Summary

This study identified two brain regions in the ventral frontal cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and posterior inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), that respond to tactile stimuli. The posterior IFG may be involved in tactile attention.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Sensory Processing

Background:

  • Inferior prefrontal regions in monkeys, including the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), receive somatosensory input.
  • Previous human studies linked ventral frontal activity to hedonic sensory stimulation, but not neutral tactile stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether human inferior prefrontal regions respond to neutral tactile stimuli.
  • To identify specific ventral frontal brain regions involved in somatosensory processing.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) data from ongoing somatosensory processing studies.
  • Examination of brain activity in response to tactile stimuli with neutral hedonic valence.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Evidence for two distinct ventral frontal brain regions responsive to somatosensory stimulation.
  • Activation observed in the posterior inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and adjacent anterior frontal operculum.
  • Activation also observed in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC).

Conclusions:

  • The posterior IFG and anterior frontal operculum are responsive to tactile stimuli in humans.
  • The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is also responsive to tactile stimulation.
  • The posterior IFG/anterior frontal operculum may play a specific role in tactile attention.