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

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.

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,...

Visual System

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 Eyeball

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,...

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

Charles Darwin proposed that facial expressions are an evolutionary adaptation for communication. He argued that these expressions are not influenced by culture but are universal across species. For example, a snarling expression with exposed teeth signals a threat in many animals, including humans. Darwin also suggested that displaying an emotion can intensify the feeling. Smiling, for example, could enhance one's sense of happiness. This idea laid the foundation for understanding the role of...

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...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Emotion recognition, symptoms of depression, and fluid intelligence after frontal lobe lesions.

Neuropsychologia·2025

Same author

Parallel transmit (pTx) with online pulse design for task-based fMRI at 7 T.

Magnetic resonance imaging·2022

Same author

Correcting for Superficial Bias in 7T Gradient Echo fMRI.

Frontiers in neuroscience·2021

Same author

Improved motion correction of submillimetre 7T fMRI time series with Boundary-Based Registration (BBR).

NeuroImage·2020

Same author

Cognitive Diversity in a Healthy Aging Cohort: Cross-Domain Cognition in the Cam-CAN Project.

Journal of aging and health·2019

Same author

Age-related decline in positive emotional reactivity and emotion regulation in a population-derived cohort.

Social cognitive and affective neuroscience·2019

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language

Published on: October 13, 2018

The neural basis of eye gaze processing.

Johan D Carlin¹, Andrew J Calder

¹Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK. johan.carlin@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

Current Opinion in Neurobiology

|December 26, 2012

Summary

Humans use gaze direction for social cognition. Research reveals a neural system for gaze perception, involving the anterior superior temporal sulcus (STS), parietal regions, and medial prefrontal cortex.

More Related Videos

Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing

Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing

Published on: April 4, 2025

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Published on: November 14, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 15, 2026

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language

Published on: October 13, 2018

Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing

Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing

Published on: April 4, 2025

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Gaze in Action: Head-mounted Eye Tracking of Children's Dynamic Visual Attention During Naturalistic Behavior

Published on: November 14, 2018

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Social Cognitive Neuroscience
Psychology

Background:

Humans possess a high sensitivity to perceived gaze direction.
Gaze perception is crucial for various social cognitive functions.
Recent research is beginning to map the neural underpinnings of gaze processing.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current studies on the neural system for gaze perception.
To delineate core processes within this system: perceptual coding, attentional orienting, and joint attention.
To highlight key brain regions involved in each process.

Main Methods:

Review of recent neuroscientific studies on gaze perception.
Focus on identifying neural correlates for specific gaze processing functions.
Discussion of methodologies including multivariate pattern analysis and connectivity-based approaches.

Main Results:

Perceptual coding of gaze direction may involve the anterior superior temporal sulcus (STS).
Gaze-cued attentional orienting is potentially mediated by lateral parietal regions.
The experience of joint attention recruits medial prefrontal cortex.

Conclusions:

Understanding the gaze processing system requires integrating findings across different methodologies.
Multivariate pattern analysis can characterize individual neural node functions.
Connectivity-based methods are essential for studying system-level interactions in gaze perception.