A component of Brodmann area 3a has been shown to be highly responsive to thermonoxious skin stimulation in monkey studies. Here, we use BOLD fMRI at 7T to map on a fine scale the functional representation of a noxious heat stimulus in human primary somatosensory cortex (S1), and compare this to the hand representation identified from vibrotactile stimulation. Thermonoxious stimulation of both the palm and digits evoked a spatially distinct activation within S1, which extends beyond and partially overlaps with the anterior area responding to vibrotactile activation, consistent with the location of nociresponsive area 3a in monkeys.
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