Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities
09:38

Quantitative Assessment of Cortical Auditory-tactile Processing in Children with Disabilities

Published on: January 29, 2014

11.0K

Secondary somatosensory cortex evoked responses and 6-year neurodevelopmental outcome in extremely preterm children

Piia Lönnberg1, Elina Pihko2, Leena Lauronen3

  • 1Child Neurology, New Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; BioMag Laboratory, HUS Medical Imaging Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.

Clinical Neurophysiology : Official Journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
|May 23, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Secondary somatosensory cortex (SII) responses in extremely preterm born (EPB) children at term-equivalent age (TEA) can predict motor outcomes at age 6. SII responses were similar between EPB and term-born children at age 6.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • Neurophysiology

Background:

  • Extremely preterm birth (EPB) poses risks for neurodevelopmental outcomes.
  • The secondary somatosensory cortex (SII) plays a role in sensory processing and motor control.
  • Early neurophysiological markers are needed for outcome prediction in EPB children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the correlation between SII responses at term-equivalent age (TEA) and neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 6 in EPB children.
  • To compare SII responses between 6-year-old EPB and term-born (TB) children.

Main Methods:

  • Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to record SII responses to tactile stimulation in 39 EPB children at TEA.
  • At age 6, MEG was performed on 32 EPB and 26 TB children, including a sensorimotor task.
  • Neurological, motor, and cognitive outcomes were assessed at age 6.

Main Results:

  • A unilaterally absent SII response at TEA predicted poorer motor competence in EPB children at age 6 (p=0.03).
  • SII responses were bilaterally detectable in most EPB (88%) and TB (92%) children at age 6 (p=0.69).
  • EPB children, unlike TB children, did not show decreased SII peak latencies during a motor inhibition task (p=0.02).

Conclusions:

  • The presence of SII responses at TEA is a significant predictor of motor development in EPB children.
  • Neurophysiological assessments, such as MEG-based SII response evaluation, offer potential for early prognostication in EPB populations.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildMagnetoencephalographyMotor inhibitionOutcomePretermSecondary somatosensory cortex

More Related Videos

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol19:32

Preterm EEG: A Multimodal Neurophysiological Protocol

Published on: February 18, 2012

28.7K
Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy08:26

Event-related Potentials During Target-response Tasks to Study Cognitive Processes of Upper Limb Use in Children with Unilateral Cerebral Palsy

Published on: January 11, 2016

12.3K

Related Concept Videos

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.
41.3K
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:24

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...
1.3K
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...
9.3K