Somatosensory cortex: a 'new' somatotopic representation

Abstract

A 'new' and orderly representation of the body surface was found in the cerebral cortex of the cat. This somatotopic map was located in the anterior ectosylvian sulcus (AES), an area known to represent several modalities, but believed to be distinguished from primary sensory cortex by its lack of sensory topographies. Auditory and visual cells were also found in the AES, but were not randomly intermixed with the somatic representation. These data, coupled with those from previous studies strongly suggest the necessity for a revision of the traditional distinctions between cortical regions.