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Related Concept Videos

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.
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

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,...
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.
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

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,...
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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
09:48

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention

Published on: September 11, 2017

Topography of attention in the primary visual cortex.

Jaana Simola1, Linda Stenbacka, Simo Vanni

  • 1Finland Brain Research Unit/AMI Centre, Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo, Finland. jaana.simola@helsinki.fi

The European Journal of Neuroscience
|December 18, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Spatial attention enhances visual cortex responses, with spread indicating feedback circuits are key. This study used fMRI to map attention

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
09:48

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Published on: September 11, 2017

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
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Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments
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Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments

Published on: January 23, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Visual Perception

Background:

  • Previous studies inferred feedback circuits' role in attention to the primary visual cortex (V1) based on response timing.
  • Temporal data alone is insufficient due to differing anatomical hierarchies and activation sequences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spatial spread of attention-related activity in V1.
  • To provide further evidence for the role of feedback circuits in spatial attention using fMRI.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized multifocal functional localizer and quantitative analysis with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
  • Localized representations of 60 visual field regions in V1.
  • Conducted an attention experiment with human volunteers performing a visual discrimination task.

Main Results:

  • Attention significantly enhanced peak amplitudes more in the lower than upper visual field.
  • Attention-enhanced activity spread with a 2.4 times larger radius (approx. 10 mm) compared to unattended responses.
  • Target region of interest showed a 20% stronger response due to attention compared to sensory stimulation alone.

Conclusions:

  • The spatial spread of activation in V1 supports the role of feedback circuits in spatial attention.
  • Findings align with current models of V1 network architecture and primate cortical connections.