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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,...

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.

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...

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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 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

Shape-specific preparatory activity mediates attention to targets in human visual cortex.

Mark Stokes¹, Russell Thompson, Anna C Nobre

¹Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom. mark.stokes@sjc.ox.ac.uk

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|November 6, 2009

Summary

Top-down attention uses preparatory neural activation in the brain to prioritize sensory information. This study shows that attention selectively activates specific neural codes, improving perceptual performance.

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Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

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

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Published on: March 18, 2019

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Published on: August 1, 2018

Area of Science:

Cognitive Neuroscience
Neuroimaging
Visual Perception

Background:

Attentional biases are thought to arise from preparatory activation of task-relevant neural representations.
Existing neural evidence for this preparatory coding model of attention is incomplete.

Purpose of the Study:

To test the core assumptions of the preparatory coding model of attentional bias.
To investigate the neural basis of shape-specific preparatory attention.

Main Methods:

Multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) of functional neuroimaging data.
A non-spatial attention task involving visual targets.
Examination of the locus, time-course, and functional significance of preparatory attention.

Main Results:

Selective activation of target-specific neural subpopulations in the lateral occipital complex (LOC) occurred before visual target onset.
This target-specific modulation of neural activity was sustained throughout the attention trial.
The degree of target specificity in preparatory activation correlated with improved perceptual performance.

Conclusions:

Top-down attention selectively activates target-specific neural codes.
This provides a competitive bias favoring relevant representations over competing ones.
The findings support a preparatory coding model for attentional bias in visual cortex.