Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Parallel Processing

Parallel Processing

The brain processes sensory information rapidly due to parallel processing, which involves sending data across multiple neural pathways at the same time. This method allows the brain to manage various sensory qualities, such as shapes, colors, movements, and locations, all concurrently. For instance, when observing a forest landscape, the brain simultaneously processes the movement of leaves, the shapes of trees, the depth between them, and the various shades of green. This enables a quick and...

Spinal Cord: Information Processing

Spinal Cord: Information Processing

The spinal cord is an integral hub for motor and sensory information that enables the brain to communicate with the peripheral nervous system (PNS). This communication consists of relaying sensory data and transmission of motor commands.
Sensory Information Processing
Sensory information processing begins at the sensory receptors located in the skin and other tissues, which detect somatic sensory stimuli such as touch, temperature, or pain. These receptors function as catalysts, initiating...

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.

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.

Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay

Diencephalon: Thalamus and Information Relay

The thalamus, often called “the gateway to the cerebral cortex,” is vital in processing and directing sensory and motor signals throughout the brain. Almost all inputs destined for the cerebral cortex, except for olfactory signals, are relayed through the thalamus. The thalamus is a sophisticated relay station, channeling information from various brain regions to the cerebral cortex, as well as a filter, prioritizing certain signals over others based on current physiological states or needs.

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,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

A tutorial and tool for exploring feature similarity gradients with MRI data.

NeuroImage·2020

Same author

A structural connectivity convergence zone in the ventral and anterior temporal lobes: Data-driven evidence from structural imaging.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2019

Same author

The Graded Change in Connectivity across the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Reveals Distinct Subregions.

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)·2019

Same author

Exploring distinct default mode and semantic networks using a systematic ICA approach.

Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior·2019

Same author

Reconnecting with Joseph and Augusta Dejerine: 100 years on.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2017

Same author

An emergent functional parcellation of the temporal cortex.

NeuroImage·2017

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 18, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

Interaction between dorsal and ventral processing streams: where, when and how?

Lauren L Cloutman¹

¹Neuroscience and Aphasia Research Unit (NARU), Zochonis Building, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.

Brain and Language

|September 13, 2012

Summary

Complex behaviors depend on visual, auditory, and linguistic processing streams. This review explores how the spatial (dorsal) and non-spatial (ventral) streams interact anatomically and functionally.

Keywords:

Auditory processing Dorsal–ventral integration Dual stream model Language processing Visual processing

More Related Videos

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

Published on: November 16, 2017

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 18, 2026

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Methods to Explore the Influence of Top-down Visual Processes on Motor Behavior

Published on: April 16, 2014

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

Published on: November 16, 2017

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Psychology

Background:

Complex behaviors involve spatial (dorsal) and non-spatial (ventral) processing streams.
The interaction between these streams is crucial but not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To review evidence on how the dorsal and ventral streams interact.
To examine three models of dual stream interaction: parallel processing with reintegration, feedback modulation, and direct information transfer.

Main Methods:

Review of anatomical evidence.
Review of temporal evidence.
Review of behavioral evidence.

Main Results:

The review examines three distinct models of interaction between the dorsal and ventral streams.
Evidence for parallel processing, feedback loops, and direct information transfer is considered.

Conclusions:

Understanding the interaction between dorsal and ventral streams is key to understanding complex cognition.
Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms of dual stream interaction.