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Related Concept Videos

Vision01:24

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.
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision01:15

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 System01:26

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...
Parallel Processing01:20

Parallel Processing

The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

A Standardized Obstacle Course for Assessment of Visual Function in Ultra Low Vision and Artificial Vision
09:29

A Standardized Obstacle Course for Assessment of Visual Function in Ultra Low Vision and Artificial Vision

Published on: February 11, 2014

Visual information from the lower visual field is important for walking across multi-surface terrain.

Daniel S Marigold1, Aftab E Patla

  • 1Département de Physiologie, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 3J7. daniel.marigold@umontreal.ca

Experimental Brain Research
|March 7, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Vision from the lower visual field is crucial for safe walking on varied terrain. Blocking this vision caused changes in head movement and gait, highlighting its importance for navigation.

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Area of Science:

  • Human locomotion
  • Visual perception
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • Safe navigation relies on environmental visual cues.
  • The role of the lower visual field in terrain negotiation is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the importance of lower visual field information for walking on multi-surface terrain.
  • To compare the effects of visual field obstruction on young and older adults.

Main Methods:

  • Ten young and ten older adults walked on a multi-surface terrain (solid, rock, slippery, compliant, tilt, irregular).
  • Participants completed trials with and without glasses blocking the lower visual field.
  • Head pitch angle and gait parameters (speed, step length) were measured.

Main Results:

  • Both young and older adults showed increased downward head pitch when the lower visual field was blocked.
  • Gait speed and step length were reduced in both age groups when vision was obstructed.
  • These changes indicate reliance on lower visual field input for multi-surface terrain navigation.

Conclusions:

  • Vision from the lower visual field is essential for effective walking on complex terrain.
  • Implications exist for individuals using multifocal lenses, especially in challenging environments.
  • Understanding visual field importance can inform strategies for fall prevention and balance maintenance.