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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.

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...

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.

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...

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...

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

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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

Updated: May 14, 2026

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation

Published on: December 31, 2013

Somatosensory responses in a human motor cortex.

Ammar Shaikhouni¹, John P Donoghue, Leigh R Hochberg

¹Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. ammar.shaikhouni@osumc.edu

Journal of Neurophysiology

|January 25, 2013

Summary

Even after a stroke damages motor cortex output, intact sensory pathways can still influence brain activity. This preserved neural response offers potential for brain-computer interfaces (BCI) in motor rehabilitation.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Motor Control
Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

Somatic sensory feedback is crucial for motor cortex function.
Stroke-induced changes in somatosensory systems can impact brain-computer interfaces (BCI).
Understanding preserved neural pathways post-stroke is vital for BCI development.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate primary motor cortex neuron responses to somatosensory input in a stroke patient with intact sensory pathways.
To determine if fundamental neural organization is preserved despite long-standing motor deficits.
To assess the potential of intact sensory pathways for future BCI applications.

Main Methods:

Recorded neural activity in the hand/arm area of the primary motor cortex.
Applied passive manipulation of contralateral shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints.
Monitored neural responses during attempted arm movements.

Main Results:

Primary motor cortex neurons responded to passive joint manipulation as expected in intact primates.
Fundamental neural organization in the motor cortex was preserved.
The same neurons were activated by attempted arm actions, indicating preserved sensory-motor integration.
Intact sensory pathways influenced motor cortex firing rates years after cortical output interruption.

Conclusions:

Intact somatosensory pathways can retain influence over primary motor cortex activity years after stroke.
Preserved neural responses suggest potential for utilizing sensory feedback in brain-computer interfaces.
These findings support the use of sensory pathways for decoding motor intentions in BCI applications for individuals with motor impairments.