Neural Integration
Sensory Integration • Survival depends upon sensation and perception • Sensation is the awareness of changes in the internal and external environment • Perception is the conscious interpretation of those stimuli Organization of the Somatosensory System • Input comes from exteroceptors, proprioceptors, and interoceptors • The three main levels of neural integration in the somatosensory system are: • Receptor level – the sensor receptors • Circuit level – ascending pathways • Perceptual level – neuronal circuits in the cerebral cortex Processing at the Receptor Level • Receptor potential – a graded potential from a stimulated sensor...