Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Unique Area of the Homonculus: The Topography of the Primary Somatosensory Cortex in Humans Following Posterior Scalp and Shoulder Stimulation

  • Published:
Brain Topography Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We recorded somatosensory evoked magnetic field (SEF) to investigate the differentiation in the receptive area for the face, lower part of the posterior scalp (mastoid) and shoulder, which occupy an unique area in the homunculus. We analyzed the location of the equivalent current dipole (ECD) of SEF following electrical stimulation of the skin at the face, mastoid and shoulder in 20 normal subjects. Three deflections (1M, 2M and 3M) were obtained within 50 ms of the stimulation in 16 of 20 subjects. The peak latency of the 1M and 2M was not significantly different at any stimulus sites. The amplitude of the 1M was significantly larger following the face than mastoid stimulation (p < 0.05). The 16 subjects were classified according to the locations of the ECD on stimulation of the mastoid: close to that for shoulder stimulation, but significantly (p < 0.05) more superior and medial to that following the face stimulation (Type 1, eleven subjects); close to that for face stimulation, but significantly (P < 0.05) more inferior and lateral to that following the shoulder stimulation (Type 2, five subjects). The site of the receptive area for the posterior scalp shows interindividual variation, possibly due to anatomical differences.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allison, T., McCarthy, G., Wood, C., Darcey, T. M., Spencer, D. D. and Williamson, P. D. Human cortical potentials evoked by stimulation of the median nerve I. Cytoarchtectotic areas generating short-latency activity. J. Neurophysiol., 1989, 62: 694–710.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumgartner, C., Sutherling, W.W., Zeitlhofer, J., Lindinger, G., Lind, G. and Deecke, L. Functional anatomy of human hand sensorimotor cortex from spatiotemporal analysis of elec-tro-corticography. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1991a, 78: 56–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumgartner, C., Doppelbauer, A., Deecke, L., Barth, D.S., Zeitlhofer, J. and Sutherling, W.W. Neuromagnetic inves-tigation of somatotopy of human hand somatosensory cortex. Exp. Brain. Res., 1991b, 87: 641–648.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumgartner, C., Sutherling, W.W., Zeitlhofer, J., Lindinger, G., Lind, G. and Deecke, L. Human somatosensory cortical fin-ger representation as studied by combined neuromagnetic and neuroelectric measurements. Neurosci. Lett., 1991c, 134: 103–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumgartner, C., Sutherling, W.W., Di, S. and Barth, D.S. Spatiotemporal modeling of cerebral evoked magnetic fields to median nerve stimulation. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1991d, 79: 27–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumgartner, C., Barth, D.S., Levesque, M.F. and Suthering, W.W. Human hand and lip sensorimotor cortex as studied on electrocoticography. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1992, 84: 115–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brenner, D., Lipton, L., Kaufmann, L. and Williamson, S.J. Somatic evoked magnetic fields of the human brain. Science, 1978, 199: 81–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chusid, J.G. Cutaneous innervation. Correlative Neuroanatomy and Functional Neurology. Los Altos: LANGE, 1982: 207–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Daube, J.R. and Sandok, B.A. The spinal levels. Medical Neurosciences. Boston: Little Brown, 1978: 296–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Findler, G. and Feinsod, M. Sensory evoked response to electri-cal stimulation of trigeminal nerve in humans. J. Neurosurg., 1982, 56: 545–549.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forss, N., Salmelin, R. and Hari, R. Comparison of somatosensory evoked fields to airpuff and electric stimuli. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1994, 92: 510–517.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gharib, S., Sutherling, W.W., Nakasato, N., Barth, D.S., Baumgartner, C., Alexopoulos, N., Taylor, S. and Rogers, R.L. MEG and ECoG localization accuracy test. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1995, 94: 109–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Godfrey, R.M. and Mitchell, K.W. Somatosensory evoked po-tentials to electrical stimulation of the mental nerve. Br. J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg., 1987, 25: 300–307.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hari, R., Reinikainen, K., Kaukoranta, E., Hamalainen, M., Ilmoniemi, R., Penttinen, A., Salminen, J. and Teszner, D. Somatosensory evoked cerebral magnetic fields from SI and SII in man. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1984, 57: 254–263.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hari, R., Hamalainen, M., Knuutila, J., Sams, M. and Vilkman, V. Functional organization of the human first and second somatosensory cortices: neuromagnetic study. Eur. J. Neurosci., 1993, 5: 724–734.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hari, R., Nagamine, R., Nishitani, N., Mikuni, N., Sato, T., Tarkiainen, A. and Shibasaki, H. Time-varying activation of different cytoarchitectonic areas of the human SI cortex after tibial nerve stimulation. Neuroimage, 1996, 4: 111–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoshiyama, M., Kakigi, R., Koyama, S., Kitamura, Y., Shimojo, M. and Watanabe, S. Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields after mechanical stimulation of the scalp in humans. Neurosci. Lett., 1995, 195: 29–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoshiyama, M., Kakigi, R., Koyama, S., Kitamura, Y., Shimojo, M. and Watanabe, S. Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields following stimulation of the lip in humans. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1996, 100: 96–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huttunen, J., Kaukoranta, E. and Hari, R. Cerebral magnetic re-sponses to stimulation of tibial and sural nerves. J. Neurol. Sci., 1987, 79: 43–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Itomi, K., Kakigi, R., Hoshiyama, M. and Maeda, K. Dermatome versus homunculus; detailed topography of the primary somatosensory cortex following trunk stimulation. Clin. Neurophysiol., 2000, 111: 405–412.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kakigi, R. Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields following median nerve stimulation. Neurosci. Res., 1994, 20: 165–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kakigi, R., Koyama, S., Hoshiyama, M., Shimojo, M., Kitamura, Y. and Watanabe, S. Topography of somatosensory evoked magnetic fields following posterior tibial nerve stimulation. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1995, 95: 127–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katifi, H.A. and Sedwick, E.M. Somatosensory evoked poten-tials from posterior tibial nerve and lumbosacral derma-tomes. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1986, 65: 249–259.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaukoranta, E., Hari, R., Hamalainen, M. and Huttunen, J. Cerebral magnetic fields evoked by peroneal nerve stimulation. Somatosens. Res., 1986, 3: 309–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leahy, R.M., Mosher, J.C., Spencer, M.E., Huang, M.X. and Lewine, J.D. A study of dipole localization accuracy for MEG and EEG using a human skull phantom. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1998, 107: 159–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maloney, S.R., Bell, W.L., Shoaf, S.C., Blair, E.P., Good, D.C. and Quinlivan, L. Measurement of lingual and palatine somatosensory evoked potentials. Clin. Neurophysiol., 2000, 111: 291–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy, G., Allison, T. and Spencer, D.D. Localization of the face area of human sensorimotor cortex by intracranial recording of somatosensory evoked potentials. J. Neurosurg., 1993, 79: 874–884.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minassian, B.A., Otsubo, H., Shelly, W., Ellioff, I., Rutka, J.T. and Snead, O.C. Magnetoencephalographic localization in pediatric epilepsy surgery: comparison with invasive intracranial electroencephalography. Ann. Neurol., 1999, 46: 627–633.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mogilner, A., Nomura, M., Robary, U., Jagow, R., Lado, F., Rusinek, H. and Llinas, R. Neuromagnetic studies of the lip area of primary somatosensory cortex in humans: evi-dence of an oscillotopic organization. Exp. Brain Res., 1994, 99: 137–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura, A., Yamada, T., Goto, A., Kato, T., Ito, K., Abe, Y., Kachi, T. and Kakigi, R. Somatosensory homunculus drawn by MEG. Neuroimage, 1998, 7: 377–386.

    Google Scholar 

  • Narici, L., Mondena, I., Opsomer, R. J., Pizzella, V., Romani, G.L., Torrioli, G., Traversa, R. and Rossini, P.M. Neuromagnetic somatosensory homunculus: a non-invasive approach in humans. Neurosci. Lett., 1991, 121: 51–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nihashi, T., Kakigi, R., Kawakami, O., Hoshiyama, M., Itomi, K., Nakanishi, H., Kajita, Y., Inao, S. and Yoshida, J. Representation of the ear in human primary somatosensory cortex. Neuroimage, 2001, 13: 295–304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penfield, W. and Boldrey, E. Somatic motor and sensory repre-sentation in the cerebral cortex of man as studied by electrical stimulation. Brain, 1937, 60: 389–443.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penfild, W. and Rasmussen, T. The cerebral cortex in man, New York: Macmillan, 1950.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poletti, C.E. C2 and C3 dermatomes in man. Cephalalgia, 1991, 11: 155–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarvas, J. Basic mathematical and electromagnetic concepts of the biomagnetic inverse problem. Phys. Med. Biol., 1987, 32: 11–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnitzler, A., Volkmann, J., Frieling, T., Witte, O.W. and Freund, H.J. Different cortical organization of visceral somatic sensation in humans. Eur. J. Neurosci., 1999, 11: 305–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shimojo, M., Kakigi, R., Hoshiyama, M., Koyama, S., Kitamura, Y. and Watanabe, S. Differentiation of receptive fields in the sensory cortex following stimulation of various nerves of the lower limb in humans: a magnetoencephalographic study. J. Neurosurg., 1996, 85: 255–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slimp, J.C., Rubner, D.E., Snowden, M.L. and Stolov, W.C. Dermatomal somatosensory evoked potentials: cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral levels. Electroencephalogr. clin. Neurophysiol., 1992, 84: 55–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suk, J., Ribary, U., Cappell, J., Yamamoto, T. and Llinas, R. Anatomical localization revealed by MEG recordings of the human somatosensory system. Electroencephalogr. Clin. Neurophysiol., 1991, 78: 185–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutherling, W.W., Crandall, P.H., Darcey, T.M., Becker, D.P., Levesque, M.F. and Barth, D.S. The magnetic and electric fields agree with intracranial localizations of somatosensory cortex. Neurology, 1988, 38: 1705–1714.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, C.C., Cohen, D., Cuffin, B.N., Yarita, M. and Allison, T. Electrical sources in human somatosensory cortex: identification by combined magnetic and potential recordings. Science, 1985, 227: 1051–1053.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, C.C., Spencer, D.D., Allison, T., McCarthy, G., William-son, P.D. and Goff, W.R. Localization of human sensorimotor cortex during surgery by cortical surface re-cording of somatosensory evoked potentials. J. Neurosurg., 1988, 68: 99–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woolsey, C.N., Erickson, T.C. and Gilson, W.E. Localization in somatic sensory and motor areas of human cerebral cortex as determined by direct recording of evoked potentials and electrical stimulation. J. Neurosurg., 1979, 51: 476–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiang, J., Kakigi, R., Hoshiyama, M., Kaneoke, Y., Naka, D., Takeshima, Y. and Koyama, S. Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields and potentials following passive finger toe movement in humans. Electroencephalogr. clin. Neurophysiol., 1997a, 104: 393–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiang, J., Hoshiyama, M., Koyama, S., Kaneoke, Y., Suzuki, H., Watanabe, S., Naka, D. and Kakigi, R. Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields following passive finger move-ment. Brain Res. Cogn. Brain Res., 1997b, 6: 73–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, T.T., Gallen, C.C., Schwartz, B. and Bloom, F.E. Noninvasive somatosensory homunculus mapping in hu-mans by using a large-array biomagnetometer. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 1993, 90: 3098–3102.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrative Physiology,, National Institute for Physiological Sciences,, Okazaki,, Japan

    Kazuya Itomi, Ryusuke Kakigi & Minoru Hoshiyama

  2. Department of Pediatrics,, Nagoya University School of Medicine,, Nagoya,, Japan

    Kazuya Itomi & Kazuyoshi Watanabe

  3. Department of Health of Sciences, Faculty of Medicine,, Nagoya University,, Nagoya,, Japan

    Minoru Hoshiyama

Authors
  1. Kazuya Itomi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ryusuke Kakigi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Minoru Hoshiyama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kazuyoshi Watanabe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Itomi, K., Kakigi, R., Hoshiyama, M. et al. A Unique Area of the Homonculus: The Topography of the Primary Somatosensory Cortex in Humans Following Posterior Scalp and Shoulder Stimulation. Brain Topogr 14, 15–23 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012511621766

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012511621766

Search

Navigation