Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 10, 2025
09:52
Measuring and Manipulating Functionally Specific Neural Pathways in the Human Motor System with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Published on: February 23, 2020
9.3K
Spatial sensorimotor mismatch increases the excitability of the primary somatosensory cortex: Insight from an
Matteo Girondini1, Tommaso Bertoni2, Massimo Montanaro3
1Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; Mind and Behavior Technological Center, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy; MySpace Lab, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University Hospital of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Summary
Spatial mismatch in virtual reality alters somatosensory cortex excitability. Incongruent feedback increased early somatosensory evoked potential components (P45), suggesting functional reorganization in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Human-Computer Interaction
Background:
- The somatosensory system typically maintains stable function.
- Somatosensory cortex exhibits plasticity in response to sensory changes (deprivation, experience).
- Plasticity related to spatial incongruence in sensorimotor loops is less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate functional reorganization of the somatosensory cortex.
- Examine interdependency between motor and somatosensory activity during environmental interactions.
- Assess effects of spatial mismatch in sensorimotor loops.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a virtual reality (VR) paradigm with spatial mismatch.
- Participants (n=21) performed a VR interaction task with congruent or incongruent tactile feedback.
- Measured EEG-somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) via right median nerve stimulation before and after the task.
Main Results:
- Incongruent feedback condition showed increased excitability in the early SEP component (P45).
- Congruent feedback condition showed a trend towards decreased excitability.
- Findings suggest functional changes in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI).
Conclusions:
- Spatial incongruence in sensorimotor loops can induce somatosensory cortex reorganization.
- Temporal coupling of neural activity from unrelated body parts may drive these changes.
- Attentional mechanisms might also influence observed effects, opening avenues for future research.
Keywords:
Sensorimotor integrationSomatosensory evoked potentialsSomatosensory plasticityVirtual realityMore Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:33Somatosensation
38.5K
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.
38.5K
01:24Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
908
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...
908
01:29Overview of Somatic Sensory Pathways
5.3K
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...
The somatosensory system is divided into three main pathways: the dorsal (or posterior) column-medial lemniscus, spinothalamic (or anterolateral), and spinocerebellar pathways.
The dorsal...
5.3K
01:11Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System
5.9K
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...
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...
5.9K
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
4.6K
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....
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....
4.6K
01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
1.2K
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...
1.2K