Brain processing of CT-targeted stimulation

Abstract

CT afferents, together with other types of unmyelinated and thinly myelinated afferents, likely project via the spinothalamic tract to a specific posterior/basal ventral medial nucleus of the thalamus in primates. Functional imaging studies in patients with selective denervation of unmyelinated or myelinated afferents and in healthy subjects suggest that CT-targeted stimulation activates the insular cortex in the hemisphere contralateral to stimulation. This area shows a somatotopical response to CT stimulation, supporting the idea that it is a primary cortical target for CT afferent projections. This chapter reviews findings related to the insular cortex.