Conscious tactile perception entails distinct neural dynamics within somatosensory areas.
Current biology : CB June 9, 2025 Davide Albertini, Maria Del Vecchio, Ivana Sartori et al. 9 citations
Conscious perception of simple touch depends on sustained neural activity in higher-order somatosensory regions, specifically the posterior perisylvian areas. Using human intracortical recordings, tonic responses in these regions showed all-or-nothing patterns at the sensory threshold, remained unchanged whether or not participants reported the stimulus, and most clearly distinguished perceived from non-perceived stimuli. These dynamics may serve as an organizational principle of somatosensory awareness.