We know that the cerebral cortex is vital for the perception of our somatosensory environment. Yet much remains mysterious. How do we know when something is too hot and what sets that thermostat? Daniel G. Taub and Clifford J. Woolf explain how a specific region called the secondary somatosensory cortex can alter our somatosensory sensitivity.

Boston Children's Hospital Answers article on new research from Christopher A. Walsh and colleagues, first author Richard Smith, linking mutations in the gene ATP1A3 to polymicrogyria, a disease causing irregular folds and disorganized layering in the cortex, often resulting in severe developmental and intellectual disabilities.