Electrical stimulation of the primary somatosensory cortex using intracranial electrodes is crucial for the evocation of artificial somatosensations, typically tactile sensations associated with specific regions of the body, in brain-machine interface (BMI) applications. The qualitative characteristics of these artificially evoked somatosensations has been well documented. As of yet, however, the quantitative aspects of these evoked somatosensations, that is to say the quantitative relationship between intensity of electrical stimulation and perceived intensity of the resultant somatosensation remains obscure. This study aimed to explore this quantitative relationship by surface electrical stimulation of the primary somatosensory cortex in two human participants undergoing electrocorticographic monitoring prior to surgical treatment of intractable epilepsy. Electrocorticogram electrodes on the primary somatosensory cortical surface were stimulated with varying current intensities, and a visual analogue scale was employed to provide a quantitative measure of intensity of the evoked sensations. Evoked sensations included those of the thumb, tongue, and hand. A clear linear relationship between current intensity and perceived intensity of sensation was observed. These findings provide novel insight into the quantitative nature of primary somatosensory cortex electrical stimulation-evoked sensation for development of somatosensory neuroprosthetics for clinical use.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.