Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...

Somatosensation

Somatosensation

The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.

Cerebral Hemispheres

Cerebral Hemispheres

The human brain, a complex organ, is functionally divided into two cerebral hemispheres—left and right. These hemispheres are interconnected by a structure of paramount importance, the corpus callosum. This substantial bundle of neural fibers is not just a bridge between the hemispheres but a crucial element for the brain's comprehensive functioning. It enables efficient communication between the two hemispheres, allowing each side of the brain to control and receive sensory and motor...

Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways

Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways

Somatic sensory or somatosensory pathways refer to the neural pathways that carry information related to touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the skin, muscles, tendons, and joints to the brain. These pathways involve several stages of processing and integration of sensory information.
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

Lateralization

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Enhanced therapeutic potential of a microdystrophin with an extended C-terminal domain.

Molecular therapy. Methods & clinical development·2025

Same author

Formation of an auditory sensory representation in posterior striatum emerges during a brief temporal window of associative learning in normal and hearing-impaired gerbils.

Frontiers in systems neuroscience·2025

Same author

Directed evolution of liver-detargeted AAV vectors for systemic gene delivery to skeletal muscle and heart.

Molecular therapy. Methods & clinical development·2025

Same author

Is there room in epilepsy for the claustrum?

Frontiers in systems biology·2025

Same author

Neuroanatomical Mapping of Gerbil Corticostriatal and Thalamostriatal Projections Reveals the Parafascicular Nucleus as a Relay for Vestibular Information to the Entire Striatum.

eNeuro·2025

Same author

Lived Experience of Patients and Caregivers in Rare Genetic Neurological Gene Therapy Clinical Trials in Children.

Pediatric neurology·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Published on: July 31, 2019

Contralateral corticothalamic projections from MI whisker cortex: potential route for modulating hemispheric

Kevin D Alloway¹, Michelle L Olson, Jared B Smith

¹Department of Neural & Behavioral Sciences, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033-2255, USA. kda1@psu.edu

The Journal of Comparative Neurology

|July 11, 2008

Summary

Neural pathways for rat whisking behavior were mapped. Primary motor cortex whisker regions project bilaterally to the thalamus, potentially modulating coordinated whisker movements.

More Related Videos

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity

Published on: May 7, 2017

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Published on: January 19, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Evaluation of Hemisphere Lateralization with Bilateral Local Field Potential Recording in Secondary Motor Cortex of Mice

Published on: July 31, 2019

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity

Published on: May 7, 2017

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Published on: January 19, 2024

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Motor Control
Sensory-Motor Integration

Background:

Bilateral coordination is crucial for rat whisking behavior.
The neural mechanisms underlying this coordination are not fully understood.
Corticothalamic projections play a role in sensorimotor functions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the bilateral distribution of corticothalamic projections from the primary motor cortex (MI) in rats.
To identify the specific thalamic nuclei involved in mediating whisking behavior.
To explore the potential role of these projections in coordinating bilateral whisking.

Main Methods:

Neuronal tracers were injected into the MI whisker and forepaw regions of rat brains.
The distribution of tracers in the thalamus was analyzed to map projections.
Bilateral injections of different tracers were used to assess contralateral projections.
Thalamocortical neurons were examined in relation to corticothalamic projections.

Main Results:

The MI whisker region projects bilaterally to the anteromedial (AM), ventromedial (VM), and ventrolateral (VL) thalamic nuclei.
The MI forepaw region shows minimal contralateral thalamic projections.
Contralateral corticothalamic projections from the MI whisker region terminate near thalamocortical neurons projecting back to the MI whisker area.
Labeled neurons in layer VI of the medial agranular zone (Agm) correspond to the MI whisker region.

Conclusions:

Projections from the MI whisker region to the contralateral thalamus may modulate callosal interactions.
These modulatory pathways are likely involved in coordinating bilateral whisking behavior.
The findings provide insights into the neural basis of complex sensorimotor behaviors.