Basic organization of pathways carrying sensory information from the body and head to the cerebral cortex.

From the body, these include two major routes carrying different sensory types of sensory information (1.1.1 and 1.1.2); these are the most important for conscious sensation.

An additional route to the cortex is provided by the spino-reticular pathway which has an extra synapse in the reticular formation of the brainstem en route to the thalamus and cortex (1.1.3).

In the head, the trigeminal pathway carries sensory information from the face, oral and nasal cavities and related structures in a similar way via the brainstem to the cortex (1.1.4).

Other ascending sensory tracts include a spinal pathway to the cerebellum (1.1.5).