Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
2000-4-11
pubmed:abstractText
Processing of tactile stimuli within somatosensory cortices has been shown to be complex and hierarchically organized. However, the precise organization of nociceptive processing within these cortices has remained largely unknown. We used whole-head magnetoencephalography to directly compare cortical responses to stimulation of tactile and nociceptive afferents of the dorsum of the hand in humans. Within the primary somatosensory cortex (SI), nociceptive stimuli activated a single source whereas tactile stimuli activated two sequentially peaking sources. Along the postcentral gyrus, the nociceptive SI source was located 10 mm more medially than the early tactile SI response arising from cytoarchitectonical area 3b and corresponded spatially to the later tactile SI response. Considering a mediolateral location difference between the hand representations of cytoarchitectonical areas 3b and 1, the present results suggest generation of the single nociceptive response in area 1, whereas tactile stimuli activate sequentially peaking sources in areas 3b and 1. Thus nociceptive processing apparently does not share the complex and hierarchical organization of tactile processing subserving elaborated sensory capacities. This difference in the organization of both modalities may reflect that pain perception rather requires reactions to and avoidance of harmful stimuli than sophisticated sensory capacities.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
0022-3077
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
83
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1770-6
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2000
pubmed:articleTitle
Differential organization of touch and pain in human primary somatosensory cortex.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-University, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Clinical Trial, Comparative Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't