Cortical processing of human somatic and visceral sensation.

Somatic sensation can be localized precisely, whereas localization of visceral sensation is vague, possibly reflecting differences in the pattern of somatic and visceral input to the cerebral cortex. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the cortical processing of sensation arising...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aziz, Q, Thompson, D, Ng, V, Hamdy, S, Sarkar, S, Brammer, M, Bullmore, E, Hobson, A, Tracey, I, Gregory, L, Simmons, A, Williams, S
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2000
_version_ 1797066528536920064
author Aziz, Q
Thompson, D
Ng, V
Hamdy, S
Sarkar, S
Brammer, M
Bullmore, E
Hobson, A
Tracey, I
Gregory, L
Simmons, A
Williams, S
author_facet Aziz, Q
Thompson, D
Ng, V
Hamdy, S
Sarkar, S
Brammer, M
Bullmore, E
Hobson, A
Tracey, I
Gregory, L
Simmons, A
Williams, S
author_sort Aziz, Q
collection OXFORD
description Somatic sensation can be localized precisely, whereas localization of visceral sensation is vague, possibly reflecting differences in the pattern of somatic and visceral input to the cerebral cortex. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the cortical processing of sensation arising from the proximal (somatic) and distal (visceral) esophagus in six healthy male subjects. Esophageal stimulation was performed by phasic distension of a 2 cm balloon at 0.5 Hz. For each esophageal region, five separate 30 sec periods of nonpainful distension were alternated with five periods of similar duration without distension. Gradient echoplanar images depicting bold contrast were acquired using a 1.5 T GE scanner. Distension of the proximal esophagus was localized precisely to the upper chest and was represented in the trunk region of the left primary somatosensory cortex. In contrast, distension of the distal esophagus was perceived diffusely over the lower chest and was represented bilaterally at the junction of the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices. Different activation patterns were also observed in the anterior cingulate gyrus with the proximal esophagus being represented in the right midanterior cingulate cortex (BA 24) and the distal esophagus in the perigenual area (BA32). Differences in the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cerebellum were also observed for the two esophageal regions. These findings suggest that cortical specialization in the sensory-discriminative, affective, and cognitive areas of the cortex accounts for the perceptual differences observed between the two sensory modalities.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T21:43:21Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:48b378bd-810b-4d4c-973a-e786278be35f
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T21:43:21Z
publishDate 2000
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:48b378bd-810b-4d4c-973a-e786278be35f2022-03-26T15:27:19ZCortical processing of human somatic and visceral sensation.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:48b378bd-810b-4d4c-973a-e786278be35fEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2000Aziz, QThompson, DNg, VHamdy, SSarkar, SBrammer, MBullmore, EHobson, ATracey, IGregory, LSimmons, AWilliams, SSomatic sensation can be localized precisely, whereas localization of visceral sensation is vague, possibly reflecting differences in the pattern of somatic and visceral input to the cerebral cortex. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to study the cortical processing of sensation arising from the proximal (somatic) and distal (visceral) esophagus in six healthy male subjects. Esophageal stimulation was performed by phasic distension of a 2 cm balloon at 0.5 Hz. For each esophageal region, five separate 30 sec periods of nonpainful distension were alternated with five periods of similar duration without distension. Gradient echoplanar images depicting bold contrast were acquired using a 1.5 T GE scanner. Distension of the proximal esophagus was localized precisely to the upper chest and was represented in the trunk region of the left primary somatosensory cortex. In contrast, distension of the distal esophagus was perceived diffusely over the lower chest and was represented bilaterally at the junction of the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices. Different activation patterns were also observed in the anterior cingulate gyrus with the proximal esophagus being represented in the right midanterior cingulate cortex (BA 24) and the distal esophagus in the perigenual area (BA32). Differences in the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cerebellum were also observed for the two esophageal regions. These findings suggest that cortical specialization in the sensory-discriminative, affective, and cognitive areas of the cortex accounts for the perceptual differences observed between the two sensory modalities.
spellingShingle Aziz, Q
Thompson, D
Ng, V
Hamdy, S
Sarkar, S
Brammer, M
Bullmore, E
Hobson, A
Tracey, I
Gregory, L
Simmons, A
Williams, S
Cortical processing of human somatic and visceral sensation.
title Cortical processing of human somatic and visceral sensation.
title_full Cortical processing of human somatic and visceral sensation.
title_fullStr Cortical processing of human somatic and visceral sensation.
title_full_unstemmed Cortical processing of human somatic and visceral sensation.
title_short Cortical processing of human somatic and visceral sensation.
title_sort cortical processing of human somatic and visceral sensation
work_keys_str_mv AT azizq corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT thompsond corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT ngv corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT hamdys corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT sarkars corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT brammerm corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT bullmoree corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT hobsona corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT traceyi corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT gregoryl corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT simmonsa corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation
AT williamss corticalprocessingofhumansomaticandvisceralsensation