Which cortical region is primarily responsible for initial processing of body touch and position?

The primary somatosensory cortex is primarily responsible for initial cortical processing of body touch and position.

This region occupies the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe, immediately behind the central sulcus. It receives information about touch, pressure, vibration, pain, temperature, and proprioception from the body through ascending sensory pathways.

The cortex is organized somatotopically: neighbouring body regions are generally represented by neighbouring cortical areas. The famous sensory homunculus illustrates this arrangement, but it is distorted because body parts with especially fine sensory discrimination, such as the fingertips and lips, receive disproportionately large cortical representation.

The primary somatosensory cortex does not create every aspect of conscious body experience by itself. Nearby and connected association areas integrate sensory signals with attention, memory, and spatial information. It is also distinct from the primary motor cortex, which lies in the precentral gyrus and sends major voluntary-movement commands.