Somatosensory brain areas

Author: Scott A. Sheffield MS

Last update: Oct 13th, 2022

The primary somatosensory cortex (SI) sends information to two, nearby areas of the cortex.

• One area is located in the posterior parietal cortex and is called the somatosensory association cortex or (Broadman areas 5 and 7).

• Here, objects are recognized based on their form and texture.
• A sense of body image is also formed using integrated information sent from the visual and auditory cortex areas.
• If this area is damaged, an individual may ignore certain body regions (neglect syndrome) or not be able to recognize objects from their feel (agnosia).
• Output from the primary somato-sensory cortex also travels to the secondary somatosensory cortex or SII.

Did you know that active recall is the surest way to efficiently memorize and retain what you’ve learned?

• This small area is located in the inferior parietal lobe adjacent to the lateral fissure (Broadmann area 40).
• The structure and functions of the secondary somatosensory cortex areas are not yet well understood.
• Each SII area receives and integrates somatosensory information from both sides of the body (bilateral).
• Studies also indicated that they participate in sensorimotor integration, maintaining attention while objects are touched, learning, and memory.

Overview: