Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

The Gateway to the Brain: Dissecting the Primate Eye
Published on: May 27, 2009
The role of the primate extrastriate area V4 in vision
1Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
Abstract:
Area V4 is a part of the primate visual cortex. Its role in vision has been extensively debated. Inferences about the functions of this area have now been made by examination of a broad range of visual capacities after ablation of V4 in rhesus monkeys. The results obtained suggest that this area is involved in more complex aspects of visual information processing than had previously been suggested. Monkeys had particularly severe deficits in situations where the task was to select target stimuli that had a lower contrast, smaller size, or slower rate of motion than the array of comparison stimuli from which they had to be discriminated. Extensive training on each specific task resulted in improved performance. However, after V4 ablation, the monkeys could not generalize the specific task to new stimulus configurations and to new spatial locations.
Related Concept Videos
The Retina
Vision
Association Areas of the Cortex
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,...
Anatomy of the Eyeball
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
Color Vision

