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Related Concept Videos

Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System01:11

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...
Autism Spectrum Disorder01:19

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction alongside restrictive and repetitive behaviors or interests. ASD is sometimes accompanied by intellectual impairment.
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
Somatosensation01:33

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.
Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways01:29

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...
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

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...
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

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...

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Related Experiment Video

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Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
09:13

Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published on: April 22, 2015

Somatosensory processing in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Carissa J Cascio1

  • 1Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University Department of Psychiatry, 1601 23rd Avenue South, Suite 3057, Nashville, TN, 37212, USA, carissa.cascio@vanderbilt.edu.

Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders
|December 1, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Somatosensory perception is crucial for typical development but often impaired in neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD. Addressing tactile processing issues may improve motor, communication, and social skills.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Somatosensory perception is fundamental for typical child development.
  • Abnormalities in tactile processing are increasingly recognized across various neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • Existing research often overlooks the significant role of somatosensory function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of somatosensory perception in typical development.
  • To examine somatosensory processing aberrations in neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • To explore the link between tactile deficits and core features of these disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of peer-reviewed articles on somatosensory differences in neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • Inclusion of studies on animal models and early sensory deprivation.
  • Analysis of behavioral, sensory threshold, neuroanatomical, and neurophysiological data.

Main Results:

  • Somatosensory processing is aberrant in neurodevelopmental disorders including Fragile X syndrome, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and cerebral palsy (CP).
  • Impaired somatosensory function correlates with deficits in motor ability, communication, and social skills.
  • Evidence from behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurophysiological studies supports these findings.

Conclusions:

  • Somatosensory processing is a critical, yet underappreciated, factor in neurodevelopment.
  • Abnormal tactile processing is a common feature across diverse neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • Future research and clinical interventions should integrate somatosensory function into understanding and treating these conditions.