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Which part of the cerebral cortex processes skin temperature sensations?
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Thermoreception
Warm-blooded animals, such as polar bears, maintain stable body temperatures and adapt to substantial geographic and seasonal temperature fluctuations. Thermal adaptation is supported by the function of sensory structures called thermoreceptors.
In the human brain, skin temperature sensations are processed in the superior margin of the posterior insular cortex. This specific receiving site is located on the side of the brain contralateral to the area of the body experiencing the temperature change.1
Research, including functional imaging with positron emission tomography, has confirmed that activation within this region of the cerebral cortex directly correlates with the perception of warmth or cold. This cortical area is part of a broader region responsible for representing the overall physiological condition of the body, playing a key role in homeostasis.1