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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...

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 1, 2026

Measurement of Vibration Detection Threshold and Tactile Spatial Acuity in Human Subjects

Measurement of Vibration Detection Threshold and Tactile Spatial Acuity in Human Subjects

Published on: September 1, 2016

Thalamocortical rhythms during a vibrotactile detection task.

Saskia Haegens¹, Yuriria Vázquez, Antonio Zainos

¹Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|April 16, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Neural oscillations in the somatosensory thalamocortical network are crucial for perception and decision-making. These brain rhythms in the thalamus (VPL) and cortex (S1) dynamically change based on behavioral context and reflect perceptual choices.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Sensory processing
Cognitive neuroscience

Background:

The somatosensory thalamocortical network processes tactile information.
Oscillatory dynamics are implicated in neural communication and cognitive functions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of oscillatory dynamics in the somatosensory thalamocortical network during perception and decision-making.
To determine if thalamic and cortical oscillations are modulated by behavioral context and perceptual decisions.

Main Methods:

Simultaneous neuronal activity recording in the ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL) and primary somatosensory cortex (S1) of macaque monkeys.
Monkeys performed a vibrotactile detection task under active detection and passive stimulation conditions.
Analysis of oscillatory power in different frequency bands (theta, alpha, beta).

Main Results:

Sustained poststimulus beta power increase in VPL and alpha power decrease in S1 during active detection.
Oscillatory dynamics were stronger in active detection compared to passive stimulation.
Poststimulus theta power increased in VPL and S1, while alpha/beta power decreased in S1, reflecting perceptual decisions.
Prestimulus alpha power in S1 predicted the likelihood of reporting a stimulus.

Conclusions:

Task-related modulations of oscillatory activity occur in both the thalamus and neocortex, influenced by behavioral context.
Oscillatory dynamics in the somatosensory thalamocortical network reflect perceptual decision-making processes.
Early sensory regions are actively involved in perceptual decision-making beyond their primary sensory functions.