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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.
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...
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,...
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...
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,...

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Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging
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Targeted Labeling of Neurons in a Specific Functional Micro-domain of the Neocortex by Combining Intrinsic Signal and Two-photon Imaging

Published on: December 12, 2012

Functional specialization and dynamic resource allocation in visual cortex.

Gijs Plomp1, Cees van Leeuwen, Andreas A Ioannides

  • 1Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Wako-shi, Japan. gijs.plomp@epfl.ch

Human Brain Mapping
|July 22, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study reveals how early visual areas and the fusiform gyri (FG) process visual information. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) showed distinct roles for the left and right FG in responding to task demands and stimulus content.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Visual Perception

Background:

  • Understanding the neural basis of visual perception is crucial for deciphering cognitive processes.
  • Early visual areas and the fusiform gyri (FG) are key regions involved in visual information processing.
  • Investigating the spatiotemporal dynamics of cortical activity provides insights into functional specialization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of cortical activity in early visual areas and the FG.
  • To determine how these brain regions respond to varying task demands and visual stimuli.
  • To elucidate the functional roles of the left and right FG in visual classification tasks.

Main Methods:

  • Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was employed to record brain activity.
  • Subjects performed a visual classification task involving letters and pseudoletters.
  • Stimuli were presented in a cued visual field (VF) under different task demands.

Main Results:

  • Prestimulus effects in V1 and Cuneus indicated anticipation and specialized visual processing based on VF and task demands.
  • The right FG responded to task demands irrespective of stimulus content (150-350 ms).
  • The left FG showed selectivity for graphemes regardless of task demands (300-400 ms).

Conclusions:

  • Early visual areas exhibit anticipatory activity related to visual field and task demands.
  • The right FG is sensitive to task demands, while the left FG is sensitive to stimulus content.
  • These findings highlight distinct functional specializations within the fusiform gyri for visual processing.