Multiple Representations of the Body Within the Primary Somatosensory Cortex of Primates
Abstract
Microelectrode mapping experiments indicate that the classical primary somatosensory cortex of monkeys consists of as many as four separate body representations rather than just one. Two complete body surface representations occupy cortical fields 3b and 1. In addition, area 2 contains an orderly representation of predominantly "deep" body tissues. Area 3a may constitute a fourth representation.
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Body regions are mapped somatotopically onto the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), with nearby regions on the body generally represented by nearby patches in cortex.
“As demonstrated by pioneering work in humans (Penfield and Boldrey 1937;Penfield and Rasmussen 1950) and nonhuman primates (Kaas et al. 1979;Marshall et al. 1937), body regions are mapped somatotopically onto the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), with nearby regions on the body generally represented by nearby patches in cortex.”
From Tactile innervation densities across the whole body (2020) · cites this paper as Kaas et al. 1979
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- Authors
- Kaas, J. H., Nelson, R. J., Sur, M., Lin, C.-S., & Merzenich, M. M.
- Affiliations
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- University of California, San Francisco (US)
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 1979-05-04
- Volume
- 204
- Issue
- 4392
- Pages
- 521-523
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2060873042
- Cited by
- 710
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 15 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 8.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Motor Control and Adaptation
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Multisensory perception and integration
- Keywords
- primary somatosensory cortex, representation of the body, somatotopic mapping, monkeys, primate neuroanatomy
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Haplorhini, Brain Mapping, Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory Cortex
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