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The Sensory Cortical Representation of the Human Penis: Revisiting Somatotopy in the Male Homunculus

Christian A. Kell, Katharina von Kriegstein, Alexander Rösler, Andreas Kleinschmidt and Helmut Laufs
Journal of Neuroscience 22 June 2005, 25 (25) 5984-5987; https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0712-05.2005
Christian A. Kell
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Katharina von Kriegstein
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Alexander Rösler
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Andreas Kleinschmidt
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Helmut Laufs
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Abstract

Pioneering mapping studies of the human cortex have established the notion of somatotopy in sensory representation, which transpired into Penfield and Rasmussen's famous sensory homunculus diagram. However, regarding the primary cortical representation of the genitals, classical and modern findings appear to be at odds with the principle of somatotopy, often assigning it to the cortex on the mesial wall. Using functional neuroimaging, we established a mediolateral sequence of somatosensory foot, penis, and lower abdominal wall representation on the contralateral postcentral gyrus in primary sensory cortex and a bilateral secondary somatosensory representation in the parietal operculum.

  • somatosensory
  • sequence
  • genital
  • primary sensory
  • secondary sensory
  • postcentral gyrus
  • MRI
  • functional
  • brain
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The Journal of Neuroscience: 25 (25)
Journal of Neuroscience
Vol. 25, Issue 25
22 Jun 2005
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The Sensory Cortical Representation of the Human Penis: Revisiting Somatotopy in the Male Homunculus
Christian A. Kell, Katharina von Kriegstein, Alexander Rösler, Andreas Kleinschmidt, Helmut Laufs
Journal of Neuroscience 22 June 2005, 25 (25) 5984-5987; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0712-05.2005

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The Sensory Cortical Representation of the Human Penis: Revisiting Somatotopy in the Male Homunculus
Christian A. Kell, Katharina von Kriegstein, Alexander Rösler, Andreas Kleinschmidt, Helmut Laufs
Journal of Neuroscience 22 June 2005, 25 (25) 5984-5987; DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0712-05.2005
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