Hemispheric Mapping of Secondary Somatosensory Cortex in the Rat

Abstract

This study used high-resolution hemispheric mapping of somatosensory evoked potentials to determine the number and organization of secondary somatosensory areas (SII) in rat cortex. Two areas, referred to as SII and PV (parietoventral), revealed complete (SII) or nearly complete (PV) body maps. The vibrissa and somatic representation of SII was upright, rostrally oriented, and immediately lateral to primary somatosensory cortex (SI), with a dominant face representation. Vibrissa representations in SII were highly organized, with the rows staggered rostrally along the mediolateral axis. Area PV was approximately one fifth the size of SII, and located rostral and lateral to auditory cortex. PV had a rostrally oriented and inverted body representation that was dominated by the distal extremities, with little representation of the face or vibrissae. These data support the conclusion that in the rat, as in other species, SII and PV represent anatomically and functionally distinct areas of secondary somatosensory cortex.