- Deep beneath the surface of each of the two globe-like halves of the brain is a group of clusters of brain cells collectively known as the basal ganglia, one of which is the thalamus.
- Sensory information such as touch, pressure, heat, cold, and pain travels along nerves from all parts of the body into the spinal cord, where it travels upward along the spinothalamocortical pathway, toward the brain.
- As all of the various sensory tracts enter the brain through the brainstem, they converge upon the thalamus, which processes and integrates the multitude of sensations, and then relays them to appropriate areas of the brain where the information is used or brought into the individuals conscious awareness.
Spinothalamocortical pathway [.ppt, 201KB]
Page last reviewed: 09 Feb 2022
