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Related Concept Videos

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.
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,...
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness01:19

High-Level and Low-Level Awareness

Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
Perception01:28

Perception

Perception is a fundamental psychological process that enables individuals to organize, interpret, and consciously experience sensory information. This process is crucial for understanding and interacting with the world around us. It includes both bottom-up and top-down processing, each playing a distinct role in how we perceive our environment.
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
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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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
06:46

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

Published on: March 18, 2019

Top-down control of visual attention.

Behrad Noudoost1, Mindy H Chang, Nicholas A Steinmetz

  • 1Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

Current Opinion in Neurobiology
|March 23, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Top-down visual attention enhances perception by altering neural activity across the visual system. This effect originates from a network involved in eye movement control, linking attention to spatial working memory.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
06:46

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Published on: March 18, 2019

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
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Published on: July 5, 2015

Using Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to Measure Set-Specific Capture, a Consequence of Distraction While Multitasking
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Published on: August 29, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Visual Perception

Background:

  • Top-down visual attention modulates perception of specific stimuli.
  • Neural activity changes associated with attention occur throughout the visual system.
  • Recent research explores the neural signatures and causal basis of attention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To summarize evidence linking visual attention to neural activity.
  • To identify the causal origins of spatial attention correlates.
  • To discuss the relationship between attention and spatial working memory.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent studies on top-down attention.
  • Analysis of neural activity signatures within the visual cortex.
  • Examination of evidence from distributed neural networks.

Main Results:

  • Attention-related neural activity originates from a distributed network.
  • This network is involved in programming saccadic eye movements.
  • Neural correlates of spatial attention are linked to eye movement control.

Conclusions:

  • Spatial attention's neural basis involves structures controlling saccadic eye movements.
  • Understanding this network provides insight into attention mechanisms.
  • The findings connect visual attention to spatial working memory neural mechanisms.