| Somatosensory System |
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Somatic sensation consists of the various Sensory Receptors that trigger the experiences labelled as touch or Pressure , Temperature (warm or cold), Pain (including Itch and tickle), and the sensations of muscle movement and joint position including Posture , Movement , and facial expression (collectively also called Proprioception ). A more complex concept comes into play when the term is used in reference to (hence Shape , Soft ness, texture, Vibration , etc.), relative Temperature and sometimes Pain . Thus the term "touch" is actually the combined term for several senses. In medicine, the colloquial term "touch" is usually replaced with somatic senses, to better reflect the variety of mechanisms involved. The somatosenses include: Cutaneous ( Skin ), Kinesthesia (movement) and visceral (internal) senses, of which the first two are better known. Visceral senses have to do with sensory information from within the body, such as Stomach Ache s. ANATOMY Human brain localization The somatosensory systemNolte J.The Human Brain 5th ed. 2002. Mosby Inc, Missouri.consists of ascending pathways from the body to the Postcentral Gyrus in the cerebral cortex, namely the Dorsal Column Medial Lemniscal pathway, the Ventral Spinothalamic Pathway , Ventral and Dorsal Spinocerebellar Tracts . The primary somatosensory area in the human cortex is located in the Postcentral Gyrus (Parietal Lobe). It is the location of the primary somatosensory cortex, the main sensory receptive area for the sense of touch. Like other sensory areas, there is a map of sensory space called a homunculus in this location. For the primary somatosensory cortex, this is called the sensory homunculus. Areas of this part of the Human Brain map to certain areas of the body, dependent on the amount or importance of somatosensory input from that area. For example, there is a large area of cortex devoted to sensation in the hands, while the back has a much smaller area. This somatosensory map is termed the Homunculus . PHYSIOLOGY A somatosensory pathway typically has three long neuronsSaladin KS. Anatomy and Physiology 3rd ed. 2004. McGraw-Hill, New York.: primary, secondary and tertiary (or first, second, and third).
TECHNOLOGY The new research area of Haptic technology allows to provide touch sensation in virtual and real environments. This exciting new area has started to provide critical insights into touch capabilities. SEE ALSO
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