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Related Concept Videos

Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

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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.
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Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

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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...
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The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
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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.
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Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System01:11

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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:
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The inner ear assumes dual functionalities of auditory perception and equilibrium maintenance. The vestibule is the organ responsible for balance. This organ contains mechanoreceptors, specifically hair cells, endowed with stereocilia, which aid in deciphering information regarding the position and motion of our heads. Two intrinsic components, the utricle and saccule, help perceive head position, while the semicircular canals track head movement. Neurological messages initiated in the...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 24, 2026

Experimental Methods to Study Human Postural Control
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Morning/Evening differences in somatosensory inputs for postural control.

Clément Bougard1, Damien Davenne2

  • 1Armed Forces Biomedical Research (IRBA), Vigilance Team, 91223 Brétigny-sur-Orge, France ; Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, EA 7330 VIFASOM Sommeil-Fatigue-Vigilance et Santé Publique, 75181 Paris, France ; Normandie University, 14032 Caen, France.

Biomed Research International
|September 12, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Postural control improves throughout the day, linked to body temperature and vigilance. Diurnal changes in muscle adjustments, not sensory input, explain this improved balance.

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Area of Science:

  • Human Physiology
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Postural control varies between morning and afternoon measurements, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
  • Diurnal fluctuations in body temperature and vigilance levels may influence postural balance.
  • Understanding these variations is crucial for optimizing performance and preventing falls.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of vestibular, visual, and somatosensory inputs in postural balance.
  • To determine the relationship between diurnal changes in body temperature and vigilance and postural control.
  • To identify the specific physiological processes contributing to daily variations in balance.

Main Methods:

  • Nineteen healthy males completed postural control tests at 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
  • Body temperature and vigilance levels were assessed.
  • Postural control was evaluated using center-of-pressure (COP) analysis, including spectral analysis (fast Fourier transform) and Romberg's index.

Main Results:

  • Postural control significantly improved from morning to evening, correlating with circadian rhythms of body temperature and vigilance.
  • The path length/surface area ratio of COP excursions increased, indicating reduced sway area but longer path length.
  • While Romberg's index remained stable, spectral analysis revealed changes in muscle contraction processes underlying postural adjustments.

Conclusions:

  • Postural control exhibits diurnal variation, improving throughout the day in healthy young males.
  • These improvements are associated with circadian rhythms of body temperature and vigilance.
  • Changes in the neuromuscular control strategies, particularly muscle contraction readjustments, appear to mediate diurnal fluctuations in postural balance.