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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.

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System

The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...

Dose-Response Relationship: Selectivity and Specificity

Dose-Response Relationship: Selectivity and Specificity

Drugs exert their therapeutic effects by interacting with receptors, enzymes, or ion channels that are present throughout the human body. The strength and duration of the interaction between a drug and its target receptor are characterized by the selectivity and specificity of the drug. Selectivity refers to a drug's strong preference for its intended target over other targets. For instance, isoprenaline, a non-selective β-adrenergic agonist, interacts with both β1- and β2-adrenergic receptors...

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,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

Published on: October 11, 2017

Functional selectivity in sensory-deprived cortices.

Giulia Dormal¹, Olivier Collignon

¹Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.

Journal of Neurophysiology

|March 25, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Congenitally deaf cats show enhanced vision due to crossmodal plasticity. Specific auditory cortex areas support supranormal visual skills, maintaining functional specialization.

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Stereotactically-guided Ablation of the Rat Auditory Cortex, and Localization of the Lesion in the Brain

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Published on: October 11, 2017

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Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Published on: February 8, 2020

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Auditory Cortex Plasticity
Sensory Deprivation

Background:

Early sensory deprivation can lead to crossmodal reorganization in the brain.
Understanding how sensory systems adapt is crucial for neuroscience research.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate crossmodal reorganization in congenitally deaf cats.
To determine if auditory cortex regions maintain functional specialization after visual input is lost.

Main Methods:

Studied congenitally deaf cats.
Examined visual performances in relation to auditory cortex activity.

Main Results:

Specific auditory cortex regions were found responsible for distinct supranormal visual performances.
Evidence suggests that brain regions maintain their functional specialization despite crossmodal colonization.

Conclusions:

Crossmodal plasticity in early auditory deprivation follows principles that preserve functional specialization.
Auditory cortex plays a role in enhanced visual processing in deaf individuals.