A tumor located in the primary somatosensory area would most likely impact which of the following functions?

• A. Regulation of visual information
• B. Coordination of voluntary muscle movements
• C. Control of language comprehension
• D. Processing of tactile sensations such as touch, pressure, and pain

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the primary somatosensory area in the brain, which is located in the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe and is responsible for processing sensory information from the body.
2. Understand the main functions associated with the primary somatosensory cortex, which include processing tactile sensations such as touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.
3. Compare the functions listed in the problem: regulation of visual information (primarily handled by the occipital lobe), coordination of voluntary muscle movements (primarily controlled by the motor cortex in the frontal lobe and cerebellum), and control of language comprehension (mainly associated with Wernicke's area in the temporal lobe).
4. Recognize that since the primary somatosensory area processes tactile sensations, a tumor in this area would most likely impair the processing of touch, pressure, and pain rather than visual regulation, motor coordination, or language comprehension.
5. Conclude that the correct function impacted by a tumor in the primary somatosensory area is the processing of tactile sensations such as touch, pressure, and pain.