Functional Neurology
James Crossley in Functional Exercise and Rehabilitation, 2021
Sensory information passes from sensory receptors via afferent nerves to the spinal cord before passing to the brain where it is processed, triggering various responses. At the spinal level, proprioceptive information stimulates reflex patterns of muscle activationAt the brain stem, including the basal ganglia and cerebellum, proprioceptive information is used to help maintain posture and balance of the bodyAt the cerebral cortex, sensory information is received, processed and interpreted to provide position sense The sensory cortex within the cerebrum is the key area of the brain tasked with processing sensory information. The sensory cortex has specific regions that receive information from specific parts of the body. The American-Canadian neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield mapped the sensory cortex, identifying which areas were dedicated to which parts of the body (see Figure 3.3).
Neuroanatomy overview
Michael Y. Wang, Andrea L. Strayer, Odette A. Harris, Cathy M. Rosenberg, Praveen V. Mummaneni in Handbook of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and Spinal Medicine for Nurses and Advanced Practice Health Professionals, 2017
The four lobes of the brain are named for the bone under which they sit and are separated by lateral and central sulci as follows: Frontal: The frontal lobe sits anterior to the central sulcus. It is responsible primarily for decision making, problem solving, and planning.Parietal: The parietal lobe sits posterior to the central sulcus. Its primary function is sensory and motor input. The sensory cortex and the motor cortex are located in the parietal lobe.Temporal: The temporal lobe is located inferior to the lateral sulcus. The primary functions of the temporal lobe are language, hearing, and memory.Occipital: The occipital lobe is located posterior to the temporal and parietal lobes. Its primary function is vision.
Nervous system
David Sturgeon in Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology for Healthcare Students, 2018
The parietal lobe is situated in the middle section of the cerebrum between the frontal and occipital lobes (Figure 12.9). It is associated with the perception and interpretation of tactile sensory information and plays an important role in spatial awareness. The parietal lobe consists of two main areas: the primary sensory cortex and the sensory association area (Figure 12.10). The primary sensory cortex receives a continuous flow of information from receptors for touch, pressure, pain, vibration, taste and temperature (Chapter 3). In the same way that the primary motor cortex is mapped to different parts of the body according to the degree of movement they possess, the primary sensory cortex is organised according to relative sensitivity. The primary motor and primary sensory cortices are separated by the central sulcus but mirror one another to a large extent. For example, both have large areas dedicated to the hands and mouth since they demonstrate a high degree of motor functionality and sensory innervation. The only significant difference between the two is provided by the male and female genitalia which are certainly highly ‘sensitive’ but do not exhibit a great deal of motor activity (other than the basic ‘up/down’ position of the penis). The primary sensory cortex is also thought to interpret or add meaning to painful (noxious) stimulation before the primary motor cortex initiates an appropriate response.
Deep brain stimulation in essential tremor: targets, technology, and a comprehensive review of clinical outcomes
Published in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 2020
Joshua K. Wong, Christopher W. Hess, Leonardo Almeida, Erik H. Middlebrooks, Evangelos A. Christou, Erin E. Patrick, Aparna Wagle Shukla, Kelly D. Foote, Michael S. Okun
Structural connectivity has also been utilized to estimate the connectivity profile of the VTA. One study parcellated the thalamus into divisions based on the outgoing connections to various cortical regions [59]. This technique provided a novel method to visualize the thalamic sub-nuclei that are difficult to distinguish on conventional MRI sequences. Connectivity was analyzing into the following cortical targets: primary motor cortex, primary sensory cortex, supplemental motor area/premotor cortex, prefrontal cortex, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, and parietal lobe. These structural connectivity profiles were combined with VTA analysis to identify the optimal DBS lead location with respect to clinical outcomes. The authors found that stimulation of the thalamic region with the strongest degree of connectivity to the supplemental motor area/premotor cortex was associated with the greatest degree of tremor suppression.
Children with moderate to severe cerebral palsy may not benefit from stochastic vibration when developing independent sitting
Published in Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 2018
Anastasia Kyvelidou, Regina T. Harbourne, Joshua Haworth, Kendra K. Schmid, Nick Stergiou
It has long been known that sensory deficits coincide with the motor dysfunction of CP. Sensory deficits of children with hemiplegia were documented in up to 70% of individuals.24,25 In addition, imaging studies confirm damage to the sensory cortex related to the motor areas of deficit.26 McLaughlin and colleagues confirmed sensory deficits in children with spastic diplegic CP consistent with dorsal column sensory modalities.27 In spite of widespread awareness of sensory problems in children with CP, there are no interventions available that address both the sensory and postural issues. Since the perceptual-motor intervention has been found to improve sitting postural control, an additional component that would address their sensory problems could be beneficial. In fact, there is one technique that can be used in addition to a physical therapy regimen that has been utilized in adults who have postural and sensory problems.
Precipitation and inhibition of seizures in focal epilepsies
Published in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 2018
Whereas touch is a somatosensory quality which seems more likely to induce than to inhibit seizures [37] painful cutaneous stimuli seem to be able to arrest incipient focal seizures [5]. The reason for this difference has never been discussed. However, whereas touch primarily relates to the primary sensory cortex, painful stimuli reach many more brain areas. They also are accompanied by strong arousal which could add a nonspecific inhibitory effect. Reversely, they seem unlikely triggers because they do not display the necessary anatomical specificity. We were in fact unable to find any case reports of seizures precipitated by exteroceptive painful stimuli (unless by surprise they trigger a startle seizure). Fits triggered by acute pain should be considered syncope until something different is proved.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Auditory Cortex
- Cerebral Cortex
- Cerebral Hemisphere
- Olfactory System
- Uncus
- Visual Cortex
- Occipital Lobe
- Temporal Lobe
- Primary Somatosensory Cortex
- Sense