What does somatosensory mean?
Somatosensory means relating to the sensory information produced by the body itself. It refers to the system that detects touch, pressure, vibration, temperature, pain, and the position of the body and its parts, often called proprioception. This information is carried by sensory nerves to the brain, where much of it is processed in the somatosensory cortex. The term is especially important in neuroscience, medicine, rehabilitation, and psychology, including research on chronic pain, nerve injury, touch perception, and sensory processing. In everyday use, “sensory” is broader: it can refer to any sense, including sight and hearing, while “somatosensory” specifically identifies bodily or somatic sensation. The word is derived from elements meaning “body” and “sensation,” reflecting its focus on how the body experiences and transmits internal and external physical information.
adjectiveRelating to the body senses, especially sensations arising from the skin, muscles, joints, and internal organs. The term is commonly used in neuroscience and medicine to describe the sensory system that detects touch, temperature, pain, pressure, and body position.
- Relating to or involving the body’s sense organs and the perception of touch, pressure, temperature, pain, and body position.
"The somatosensory cortex processes information received from the body’s skin, muscles, and joints."
"The injury affected her somatosensory processing, making it difficult to judge the position of her hands."
"Researchers studied how the somatosensory cortex changes when a person loses sensation in one limb."
Your body is constantly sending information to your brain—and the somatosensory system is the network that lets you feel pressure, pain, warmth, and the position of your limbs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does somatosensory come from?
The word combines the Greek soma, meaning “body,” with sensory, which is based on Latin sentire, “to feel” or “to perceive.” Its development reflects the modern scientific use of soma- in compounds concerned with the body, such as somatic and somatosensation. The form somatosensory became established in medical and physiological writing during the 19th century, when sensory physiology was increasingly divided into special senses and bodily sensation.
Related word forms
How somatosensory is actually used
This is a technical term, especially common in neuroscience, medicine, physiology, and psychology. It is usually used attributively, as in “somatosensory cortex” or “somatosensory response.”
Easily confused with somatosensory
Sensory can refer to any of the body’s senses or to perception generally, whereas somatosensory specifically concerns sensations originating in the body, such as touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and proprioception.