Somatosensory Cortex

The somatosensory cortex integrates sensory information from the body, producing a map similar to that of the primary motor cortex.

The somatosensory cortex (postcentral gyrus) receives tactile information from the body. Sensory information is carried to the brain by neural pathways to the spinal cord, brainstem, and thalamus, which project to the somatosensory cortex (which in turns has numerous connections with other brain areas). It integrates sensory information (e.g. touch, pressure, temperature, and pain, spatial attention), producing a 'homunculus map', similar to that of the primary motor cortex. Sensory information about the feet, for example, map to the medial somatosensory cortex.