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Related Concept Videos

Vision

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

Anatomy of the Eyeball

Anatomy of the Eyeball

The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.

Visual System

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Monocular Visual Deprivation and Ocular Dominance Plasticity Measurement in the Mouse Primary Visual Cortex

Published on: February 8, 2020

Gaze direction controls response gain in primary visual-cortex neurons.

Y Trotter¹, S Celebrini

¹Centre de Recherche Cerveau et Cognition, Faculté de Médecine de Rangueil, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. trotter@cerco.ups-tlse.fr

|March 27, 1999

Summary

The brain combines visual and eye position information to locate objects. Area V1 neurons modulate visual responses based on gaze direction, indicating early 3D spatial processing.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Neuroscience
Visual Perception

Background:

Object localization requires integrating retinal stimulus position with eye position.
The role of the primary visual cortex (area V1) in this integration is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of area V1 in integrating visual and eye position information for spatial localization.
To determine if gaze direction influences neural responses in area V1 related to depth perception.

Main Methods:

Recorded neural activity in area V1 of behaving monkeys.
Analyzed neuronal responses in relation to stimulus properties and gaze direction.
Investigated selectivity for horizontal retinal disparity and stimulus orientation.

Main Results:

Approximately half of recorded area V1 cells showed gaze-direction-modulated visual responses.
Selectivity for horizontal retinal disparity and stimulus orientation varied with gaze direction.
Some neurons exhibited shifts in preferred disparity depending on gaze direction.
Modulation often occurred early in the visual response, suggesting feedforward gain control by eye position signals.

Conclusions:

Area V1 plays a crucial role in integrating eye position signals with visual information.
Cortical processing for 3D spatial information begins as early as area V1.
Gaze direction significantly influences neural encoding of visual stimuli in the primary visual cortex.