Somatosensory Cortex: Roles, Interventions & Traumas

The somatosensory system is a diverse sensory system comprising the receptors and processing centres to produce the sensory modalities such as touch, temperature, proprioception (body position), and nociception (pain). This book gives an overview of the methodology for investigation of pain in neuroimaging studies and the relevant structures of the lateral pain system. Furthermore, classic studies understand the body map representation in primary somatosensory cortex (SI) as fix and reflecting the physical location of peripheral stimulation in the form of the famous somatosensory homunculus. This book reports the results of recent studies that challenge this view and suggest a more complex role of SI. Also dealt with in this book is the current state and perspective of neurotechnology, particular the use of brain computer interfaces (BCI) and neurostimulation in the rehabilitation of stroke. Future developments and prospects such as the combination of BCI systems with non-invasive form of neurostimulation and functional electric stimulation (FES) is examined as well. Other chapters include a review of research done in the primary somatosensory cortex implicated in the pathogenesis of absence epilepsy, an analysis of the development of non-invasive neuroimaging techniques that have enabled the study of S1 more widely, and an electrophysiological investigation of central neuronal responses evoked by CO2 laser pulses to study evoked responses and thermal pain sensation.