Somatosensory Cortex: Functional Architecture

Somatosensory cortex is one region of the brain that is truly in touch with the outside world, both figuratively and literally. Information about things that are touched, and what body part is touching them is represented within a structural framework that is somewhat the same across species. However, significant differences also exist and these reflect representational specializations associated with the unique sensory structures that certain species have evolved to convey meaningful information. Here, we examine the vertical and horizontal structure of somatosensory cortex and how this region functions in the face of attention, distractions, and goals.