Abstract

Cerebral magnetic fields elicited by electric stimulation of peripheral nerves were studied in man. Responses were found over the Sylvian fissure at latencies of 95-125 ms for both contra- and ipsilateral stimuli. The field distribution indicated that the responses are generated in the second somatosensory cortex SII at the upper bank of the Sylvian fissure. These responses seem to provide the first non-invasive tool to study the function of SII in man.