Two somatosensory pathways ascend within the spinal cord to reach the cortex: (1) the anterolateral pathways, which convey sensations of pain, temperature, and crude touch; and (2) the posterior column–medial lemniscal pathway, which conveys sensations of discriminative or fine touch, vibration, and conscious proprioception (eFig. 9.51). Both of these pathways transmit information through a series of three neurons. We will review the anterolateral pathway first.