Definition
Neocortical areas involved in the processing of sensory information received from the muscles, joints, and surface of the skin.
Current Knowledge
The somatosensory cortex is thought to consist of both primary (SI) and secondary (SII), as well as unimodal association areas. SI is located along the postcentral gyrus, represented by Brodmann’s areas 3a, 3b, 1, and 2. Each of these areas reflect unique, well-defined somatotopic organization with the face area being the most ventral (closest to the lateral sulcus), followed dorsally by the hand, arm, trunk, and upper leg. The lower leg and foot are represented along the medial surface of the hemispheres. The major input to this region is from the ventral posterior lateral (VPL) and ventral posterior medial (VPM) nuclei of the thalamus. In turn, the VPL nucleus has received input from the medial lemniscus and the spinothalamic tracts carrying sensations of pain, touch, temperature, stereognosis, and position sense from the trunk...
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References and Readings
Mendoza, J. E., & Foundas, A. L. (2008). The cerebral cortex – Part III: theories of the functional organization of the brain. In J. E. Mendoza & A. L. Foundas (Eds.), Clinical neuroanatomy – a neurobehavioral approach (pp. 373–499). New York: Springer.
Mesulam, M.-M. (2000). Behavioral neuroanatomy: large-scale networks, association cortex, frontal syndromes, the limbic system, and hemispheric specialization. In M. Mesulam (Ed.), Principles of behavioral and cognitive neurology (Chapter 1, pp. 1–120). New York: Oxford University Press.
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Mendoza, J.E. (2011). Somatosensory Cortex. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_783
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_783
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