Here most of the outer trigemino-thalamic conduction line ends. The trajectory, which is crossed, originates in the spinal trigeminal nucleus (pain and temperature stimuli) and in the trigeminal sensory head nucleus ("hind string qualities"). The web mediates irritations from the face with its cavities (eye, nose and mouth cavity).
The VPM nucleus transmits its filaments via the capsula interna and corona radiata to those parts of the primary somatosensory cortex (SS 1) that represent the opposite half of the face with its cavities (eye, nose and oral cavity). SS 1, in turn, emits an extensive mass of wire back to the VPM core.
The signals from the VPM nucleus end mainly in the lamina IV of the cerebral cortex. The signals back to the VPL nucleus emanate from the lamina VI of the cerebral cortex.
The pain and temperature information that reaches the VPM core, when retransmitted to SS 1 after switching in the core, does not give rise to a pain or temperature sensation but "tells" where the stimulus takes place.
The VPM nucleus also diverts taste signals from the nucleus gustatorius and nucleus parabrachialis to the anterior part of the insula and to the orbitofrontal cortex.