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Related Concept Videos

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,...

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.

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.

Parallel Processing

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Published on: March 18, 2019

High-frequency, long-range coupling between prefrontal and visual cortex during attention.

Georgia G Gregoriou¹, Stephen J Gotts, Huihui Zhou

¹McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|May 30, 2009

Summary

Attention enhances brain communication by strengthening synchronized brainwaves between visual and frontal areas. This synchronized activity, particularly at gamma frequencies, is initiated by the frontal eye field (FEF) and improves information flow during focused attention.

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Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example

Published on: October 24, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

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Published on: July 5, 2015

Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example

Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example

Published on: October 24, 2012

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Visual Processing

Background:

Attentional enhancement of neural responses and gamma synchrony is observed in ventral stream visual areas.
The origin of this synchrony, whether intrinsic or input-driven, remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of inter-areal communication in attention-related gamma synchrony.
To determine if the frontal eye field (FEF) influences synchrony in visual area V4 during attention.

Main Methods:

Paired electrophysiological recordings were performed in the FEF and area V4 of monkeys.
Analysis focused on oscillatory coupling and synchrony between these two areas during attended tasks.

Main Results:

Attention to a stimulus within the joint receptive field of FEF and V4 enhanced oscillatory coupling between the areas, especially at gamma frequencies.
This enhanced coupling was initiated by the FEF and showed a time lag of 8-13 milliseconds.
The findings suggest a directional influence from FEF to V4.

Conclusions:

Attention-driven gamma synchrony between FEF and V4 is mediated by enhanced oscillatory coupling.
FEF input to V4, time-shifted at gamma frequencies, likely optimizes cross-area communication for improved visual processing during attention.