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Related Concept Videos

Working Memory01:24

Working Memory

Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this information.
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...
Perceptual Constancy01:12

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual constancy is the ability to recognize that objects remain consistent and unchanged even when their appearance varies due to changes in sensory input. There are four main types of perceptual constancy: size constancy, shape constancy, color constancy, and brightness constancy.
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example
08:45

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

Published on: October 24, 2012

Spatially global representations in human primary visual cortex during working memory maintenance.

Edward F Ester1, John T Serences, Edward Awh

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|December 4, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Visual working memory (WM) stores information using sensory cortex recruitment. This study shows visual details are held globally across early sensory areas, not just retinotopically mapped regions, enhancing memory precision.

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Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
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Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of the Visual Cortex with Wide-View Retinotopic Stimulation
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Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of the Visual Cortex with Wide-View Retinotopic Stimulation

Published on: December 8, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example
08:45

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

Published on: October 24, 2012

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory
08:06

Eye Movement Monitoring of Memory

Published on: August 15, 2010

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of the Visual Cortex with Wide-View Retinotopic Stimulation
07:11

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of the Visual Cortex with Wide-View Retinotopic Stimulation

Published on: December 8, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Visual Perception
  • Memory Research

Background:

  • Working memory (WM) is proposed to involve sensory cortex recruitment or sustained activity patterns.
  • The spatial extent of this sensory recruitment in visual WM remains debated.
  • Current theories include retinotopic restriction versus spatially global feature representation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spatial distribution of sensory cortex recruitment during visual working memory.
  • To differentiate between retinotopically restricted and spatially global models of visual feature storage in WM.
  • To determine if feature-specific activations during memory maintenance are spatially localized or widespread.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to measure brain activity.
  • Multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) was used to decode remembered visual features.
  • Participants remembered the orientation of gratings presented in either the left or right visual field.

Main Results:

  • Feature-specific activation patterns were identified in early visual cortex.
  • These patterns were present in both retinotopically corresponding contralateral regions and non-retinotopic ipsilateral regions.
  • Results indicate that remembered features are not solely confined to spatially mapped sensory areas.

Conclusions:

  • Visual details are maintained in working memory through spatially global recruitment of early sensory cortex.
  • This global recruitment mechanism may improve memory precision via robust population coding.
  • Findings challenge retinotopically restricted models and support a broader neural representation for visual WM.