Editing Trigeminal nerve (section)

==={{anchor|Pain/temperature sensation}}Pain-temperature sensation===
Pain-temperature information is sent to the VPL (body) and VPM (face) of the thalamus (the same nuclei which receive touch-position information). From the thalamus, pain-temperature and touch-position information is projected onto SI.

Unlike touch-position information, however, pain-temperature information is also sent to other thalamic nuclei and projected onto additional areas of the cerebral cortex. Some pain-temperature fibers are sent to the [[medial dorsal thalamic nucleus]] (MD), which projects to the anterior [[cingulate cortex]]. Other fibers are sent to the ventromedial (VM) nucleus of the thalamus, which projects to the [[insular cortex]]. Finally, some fibers are sent to the [[intralaminar nucleus]] (IL) of the thalamus via the [[reticular formation]]. The IL projects diffusely to all parts of the cerebral cortex.

The insular and cingulate cortices are parts of the brain which represent touch-position and pain-temperature in the context of other simultaneous perceptions (sight, smell, taste, hearing and balance) in the context of memory and emotional state. Peripheral pain-temperature information is channeled directly to the brain at a deep level, without prior processing. Touch-position information is handled differently. Diffuse thalamic projections from the IL and other thalamic nuclei are responsible for a given level of consciousness, with the thalamus and reticular formation "activating" the brain; peripheral pain-temperature information also feeds directly into this system.