Users' questions

What is the name of the topographic maps of our body located in primary somatosensory and motor cortices?

What is the name of the topographic maps of our body located in primary somatosensory and motor cortices?

retinotopic map
The organization of sensory maps in the cortex reflects that of the corresponding sensing organ, in what is known as a topographic map. Neighboring points in the primary visual cortex, for example, correspond to neighboring points in the retina. This topographic map is called a retinotopic map.

Which areas of the cortex have topographic organization?

Thus, the motor cortex shows somatotopic organization, the primary visual cortex shows a topographic mapping of the retina (see retinotopic map), and the auditory system shows tonotopic organization.

What is the mapping of somatosensory cortex?

An example is the somatosensory map which is a projection of the skin’s surface in the brain that arranges the processing of tactile sensation.

What is a topographic map of the brain?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. A topographic map is the ordered projection of a sensory surface, like the retina or the skin, or an effector system, like the musculature, to one or more structures of the central nervous system.

How are sensory maps developed in the somatosensory cortex?

A fundamental feature of primary somatosensory, visual, and auditory cortex is the topographic mapping of the peripheral sensory epithelium and other sensory parameters. Sensory maps develop from a combination of molecular cues and activity-dependent developmental processes, and co-localize neurons that have similar functions.

How are somatosensory maps used in everyday life?

Somatosensory maps are plastic throughout life in response to altered use or injury. This chapter reviews basic principles and recent findings in primate, human, and rodent somatosensory maps.

Where are topographic maps found in the nervous system?

Topographic maps can be found in all sensory systems and in many motor systems . The visual system refers to the part of the central nervous system that allows an organism to see. It interprets information from visible light to build a representation of the world.

Where are the maps located in the parietal cortex?

The somatosensory areas of human parietal cortex contain multiple topographic maps of the body surface, famously depicted as the “homunculus” ( Penfield and Rasmussen, 1950 ). Knowledge of the layout and wiring of somatotopic maps is key to understanding normal somatosensory processing.