Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Vision01:24

Vision

61.7K
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.
61.7K
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

10.7K
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,...
10.7K
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy of the Eyeball

11.9K
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...
11.9K
Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

1.3K
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
1.3K
Visual Agnosia01:12

Visual Agnosia

1.8K
Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round...
1.8K
Prosopagnosia01:24

Prosopagnosia

1.2K
Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, is the inability to recognize faces. In severe cases, individuals with prosopagnosia may not recognize close family members, including parents and spouses, by their faces. For instance, someone with prosopagnosia might walk past their child in a crowd, only realizing their mistake upon noticing their child's distinctive backpack or favorite jacket. Prosopagnosia specifically impairs facial recognition, while the recognition of other objects or...
1.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Resting fMRI functional connectivity reflects fluctuations in inhibitory interneuron activity.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Striatal visual responses increase prior to visuomotor learning.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same author

Multiregional profiling reveals <i>THBS1</i>-<i>SPP1</i> monocyte-macrophage axis drives immunosuppression and outcome in colorectal liver metastases.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Interparticle Interactions of Dendrimer, Comb, and Linear Grafted Nanoparticles via Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Macromolecules·2026
Same author

An implanted lennula approach to measure neural Ca<sup>2+</sup> responses in the awake marmoset visual cortex.

Imaging neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.)·2026
Same author

Disentangling Respiratory Phase-Dependent and Phase-Independent Components of Anticipatory Cardiac Deceleration.

Psychophysiology·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 11, 2026

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity
10:05

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity

Published on: May 7, 2017

13.0K

Blindsight depends on the lateral geniculate nucleus.

Michael C Schmid1, Sylwia W Mrowka, Janita Turchi

  • 1Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 49 Convent Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. schmidmicha@gmail.com

Nature
|June 25, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Blindsight, or vision without awareness, relies on the thalamic lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). This study shows LGN projections to extrastriate cortex are crucial for V1-lesion patients to process visual information and guide behavior.

More Related Videos

Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography
13:26

Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography

Published on: August 11, 2016

12.8K
Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function
09:09

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Published on: August 7, 2019

6.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 11, 2026

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity
10:05

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity

Published on: May 7, 2017

13.0K
Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography
13:26

Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography

Published on: August 11, 2016

12.8K
Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function
09:09

Electrophysiological Investigations of Retinogeniculate and Corticogeniculate Synapse Function

Published on: August 7, 2019

6.6K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Visual processing
  • Cortical function

Background:

  • Primary visual cortex (V1) damage causes vision loss, yet some visually guided behaviors persist without awareness (blindsight).
  • The neural basis of blindsight and V1-independent visual processing remains unclear.
  • The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) is a key relay in the visual pathway.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the causal role of the LGN in V1-independent visual processing and blindsight.
  • To determine if direct LGN projections to extrastriate areas support residual visual functions after V1 lesions.

Main Methods:

  • Used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and behavioral tasks in macaque monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with chronic V1 lesions.
  • Temporarily inactivated the LGN to assess its contribution to visual processing.
  • Compared neural activation and behavioral performance before and after LGN inactivation.

Main Results:

  • Before LGN inactivation, V1-lesioned monkeys showed V1-independent fMRI activation in extrastriate areas (V2, V3, V4, V5/MT, FST, LIP) and successfully detected stimuli.
  • Following LGN inactivation, both fMRI responses in extrastriate areas and behavioral detection of stimuli were abolished.
  • This demonstrates a critical role for the LGN in supporting blindsight.

Conclusions:

  • Direct LGN projections to extrastriate cortex are essential for V1-independent visual processing and blindsight.
  • This pathway provides a mechanism for visual detection and guidance even when conscious visual experience is absent.
  • The findings suggest a potential pathway for rapid visual detection during normal vision.