I know we already have a section dedicated to how HTM is implementing and wishes to integrate somatosensory IO into its algo. Yet, I think Let’s build a relevant reference list for studying neocortical somatosensory cortex. What I’m interested in is books (that you have read yourself), quality reviews (annualreviews), specific reviews (circuits, similarities/differences, neurochemistry), and theory and philosophy (embodied cognition), and maybe current implementations of bio-inspired somatosensory algo (or even pseudo ode). It’s easy to google these, but I don’t want an inundate of material but a minimal quality material.
After all, it’s getting increasingly clear that this may be the SOLE sense giving us our identity and intelligence, our sense of self. Many senses are not necessary for this. Through out history, people are Born blind and deaf and so it seems as if vision and hearing are not important for understanding the world (same can be said for Taste/Smell).
I,m also interested to know what are some other somatosensory linked senses that we might be missing. Like internal clocks, state of visceral organs, body heat, glucose levels, … Can we also find some quality material on these and their effects on cognition? (Typed on my phone, so ignore the typos)
I have a bunch of papers on the contributions of a stabilized platform (the vestibular system) as the starting point of self-reference - but you may wish to start with this one.
What happens if it is broken?
This is closely related to Depersonalization:
Update: I did a little digging and ran across this text. Considering the question you are asking about the system organization of the motor system I think you will be interested in the diagram on page 222 of this book. Sorry - not open source; perhaps available from the library?
Look at this description of the top end of the posture and motor control system in the basal ganglia. Note that this has taps from the vestibular system not mentioned in this article:
Eventually, this works through the posture system and runs down the spine which is a powerful processor in its own right:
And get out to the end effectors with feedback to perform sensor fusion in the cortex:
This large complicated control system is distributed over many parts of the neural system and has many different interacting parts; It’s not going to be all in the cortex.
I bumped into this today. It seems nicely topical to your interest.
This paper goes into good detail on how much of the heavy lifting is done by subcortical structures.
Functional Neuroanatomy for Posture and Gait Control - Kaoru Takakusaki
Running the body is insanely complicated - and something that most nubie researchers discount as a minor detail.