New map of the macaque somatosensory cortex now available on EBRAINS

A new multimodal map of the somatosensory cortex of the macaque monkey is now available on EBRAINS. This comprehensive map integrates cyto-, myelo- and receptor architectonic data, enabling a better understanding of the general organisational principles of the macaque somatosensory cortex. The study by researchers from the Receptor team in the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1) at the Forschungszentrum Jülich (Germany) has been published in the journal Progress in Neurobiology.

The somatosensory cortex is a brain region that receives and processes information from the body regarding touch, temperature, pain and proprioception (the body’s ability to sense its own movements and location). By using a quantitative multimodal architectonical analysis, the research team identified and characterised 13 distinct cortical areas within this region. The present study not only confirmed the existence and location of previously described areas but also unveiled novel subdivisions.

The identified areas were projected onto 3D templates, making it the first atlas to combine cytoarchitectonic, myeloarchitectonic, and receptor information from these areas in a 3D stereotaxic space. The atlas thus provides a view of the somatosensory cortex that integrates information about the distribution and organisation of cells (cytoarchitecture), the presence of myelin, a layer formed around nerve cells axons that help with electrical impulse transmission (myeloarchitecture), and the distribution patterns of neurotransmitter receptors (receptor architecture) within areas.

The researchers revealed four clusters in the examined region based on the (dis)similarity of their receptor architecture. Each of these clusters can be associated with distinct levels of sensory processing, further demonstrating that functional segregation is underpinned by differences in their molecular organisation.

Neuroscience researchers can now access this detailed 3D map through EBRAINS. This resource provides a tool for studying the structural and functional organisation of the somatosensory cortex. This can potentially assist future research into sensory processing and neurological disorders.

Explore the EBRAINS Multilevel Macaque Brain Atlas

Multimodal mapping of macaque monkey somatosensory cortex
Meiqi Niu, Lucija Rapan, Seán Froudist-Walsh, Ling Zhao, Thomas Funck, Katrin Amunts, Nicola Palomero-Gallagher
Progress in Neurobiology
Volume 239, August 2024, 102633
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301008224000698?via%3Dihub#sec0090