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

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.
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.
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,...
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...
Indirect Motor Pathways01:22

Indirect Motor Pathways

The indirect motor or extrapyramidal pathways originate in the brainstem, the lower portion of the brain that connects it to the spinal cord. They consist of several distinct tracts, each with specialized functions. The four main tracts of the indirect motor pathways are the vestibulospinal tract, the reticulospinal tract, the tectospinal tract, and the rubrospinal tract.
The vestibulospinal tract originates in the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem. The vestibular system detects changes in...
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Sex difference in outcomes and risk factors for lumbar decompressive surgery.

European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society·2026
Same author

Nutrition Literacy, Hydration Awareness and Food Label Use in School Populations: A Cross-Sectional Study of Students and Teachers Across European Contexts.

Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association·2026
Same author

Counterion Effects of Protic Ionic Liquids on the Conductivity and Stretchability of Free-Standing PEDOT:PSS Films.

Macromolecules·2026
Same author

Delayed, Reduced, and Redundant: Information Processing of Prediction Errors during Human Sleep.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026
Same author

Extreme weather effects on health services and communities in low and lower-middle income countries: a thematic systematic review.

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene·2026
Same author

Length of stay after lumbar decompressive surgery: prediction model, clinical reasons for prolonged stay, and association of prolonged stay with outcomes.

European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Functional Mapping with Simultaneous MEG and EEG
06:04

Functional Mapping with Simultaneous MEG and EEG

Published on: June 14, 2010

Parametric functional maps of visual inputs to the tectum.

Nikolas Nikolaou1, Andrew S Lowe1, Alison S Walker1

  • 1MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, Guy's Hospital Campus, London SE1 1UL, UK.

Neuron
|October 23, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Researchers mapped visual processing in zebrafish retinas, identifying distinct retinal ganglion cell (RGC) subtypes. This reveals how visual scene features are encoded in RGC populations targeting the brain.

More Related Videos

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

Topographical Estimation of Visual Population Receptive Fields by fMRI
06:02

Topographical Estimation of Visual Population Receptive Fields by fMRI

Published on: February 3, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 17, 2026

Functional Mapping with Simultaneous MEG and EEG
06:04

Functional Mapping with Simultaneous MEG and EEG

Published on: June 14, 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

Topographical Estimation of Visual Population Receptive Fields by fMRI
06:02

Topographical Estimation of Visual Population Receptive Fields by fMRI

Published on: February 3, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Visual processing
  • Retinal circuitry

Background:

  • Understanding how retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) encode visual information is crucial for deciphering brain function.
  • The specific organization and properties of RGC inputs to brain targets remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically map the functional organization of visual inputs from RGCs to the zebrafish tectum.
  • To identify and characterize subtypes of direction- and orientation-selective retinal inputs.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a genetically encoded reporter of presynaptic function, SyGCaMP3, to record visually evoked activity in RGC axons.
  • Employed unbiased voxel-wise analysis of SyGCaMP3 signals in the zebrafish tectum.
  • Generated composite parametric functional maps across multiple larvae.

Main Results:

  • Identified three subtypes of direction-selective and two subtypes of orientation-selective retinal inputs.
  • Demonstrated laminar segregation of direction- and orientation-selective responses within the tectum.
  • Discovered unexpected retinotopic biases in the distribution of functional RGC subtypes.

Conclusions:

  • Provided a systematic description of the form, organization, and dimensionality of visual inputs to the brain.
  • Established a foundational map for future studies on tectal circuits and visually driven behaviors.
  • Highlighted the complex organization of visual information processing at the RGC-tectal interface.