somatotopy
Pronunciation: so-MAT-oh-toe-pee
Systematic spatial organization of neural representations that corresponds to the anatomical arrangement of body parts.
Full Definition
Somatotopy describes the orderly mapping of body surface or body parts onto specific regions of the nervous system, maintaining spatial relationships from the periphery to central representations. The most famous example is the motor and sensory homunculus in the primary motor and somatosensory cortices, where adjacent body regions are represented in adjacent cortical areas. This organizational principle extends throughout the somatosensory and motor systems, from spinal cord to cortex, and is crucial for precise sensorimotor control.
Usage
Usage note: Related to but distinct from retinotopy (visual space mapping) and tonotopy (frequency mapping).
In Context
- "The somatotopy of SI cortex was mapped using microelectrode recordings." — Sensory physiology study
- "Stroke patients showed disrupted somatotopy in the affected motor cortex." — Clinical neuroplasticity paper