Somatotopy and information processing in the somatosensory cortex

Abstract The present article reviews studies on the somatotopic representation of the body in the postcentral gyrus. The review consists of 3 sections namely the early studies on the cortical localization of somatosensory in humans and animals, earlier neurophysiological studies in monkeys by recording single units, and more recent studies in human subjects. Results of the neurophysiological studies in monkeys established a hierarchical scheme of information processing and have guided the latest studies on human subjects that use various modern techniques such as neuroimaging. This review illustrates the origin of the concept of somatotopic representation of the body, its utilization in the later cortical mapping studies, and what is the reality of the concept.