Touch Neuronal Basis and Processing

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to the neuronal basis of touch and its processing in the brain.

Mechanoreceptors

Sensory receptors that respond to mechanical stimuli such as pressure, vibration, and touch.

Somatosensory Cortex

The part of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing sensory information from the body.

Brodmann's Areas

Regions of the cerebral cortex defined based on the unique cytoarchitecture of the brain tissue.

Thalamus

A brain structure that acts as a relay station for sensory information, directing it to the appropriate areas of the cortex.

Active Touch

Touch initiated by the individual, leading to engagement of specific brain regions for sensorimotor control.

Passive Touch

Touch that occurs without active engagement, often processed differently in the brain than active touch.

Attention modulation

The process by which focus or attention influences perceptual and sensory processing.

Homunculus

A representation of the body within the brain that corresponds to the sensory areas mapped according to the density of mechanoreceptors.

Higher-order processing

The advanced processing of sensory information that involves interpretation, memory, and context.

Proprioception

The sense of body position and movement that informs the brain about the position of limbs and muscles.