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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.
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,...
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.
Parallel Processing01:20

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...
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...
Lobes of the Cerebrum01:22

Lobes of the Cerebrum

The cerebral cortex, a critical structure of the brain, is intricately divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four distinct lobes: occipital, temporal, frontal, and parietal. These lobes function cooperatively to regulate various cognitive and sensory functions, forming the basis of our complex neural capabilities.
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 8, 2026

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
09:37

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control

Published on: July 5, 2015

Neural processes involved in directing attention.

M R Harter1, S L Miller, N J Price

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|August 24, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine visual-spatial attention in children. Findings reveal distinct neural processes for directing attention and modulating sensory input, with boys showing enhanced selective processing.

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Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
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Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
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Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 8, 2026

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
09:37

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control

Published on: July 5, 2015

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

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention
09:48

Intracortical Inhibition Within the Primary Motor Cortex Can Be Modulated by Changing the Focus of Attention

Published on: September 11, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Visual-spatial attention is crucial for information processing.
  • Understanding the neural mechanisms of attention in children is important for developmental research.
  • Event-related potentials (ERPs) offer a valuable tool for investigating rapid neural processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural processes underlying the direction of spatial attention.
  • To examine the neural modulation of sensory input processing after attention has been directed.
  • To explore potential sex differences in visual-spatial attention and related neural activity in children.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized event-related potentials (ERPs) in 6- to 9-year-old children (51 boys, 35 girls).
  • Employed an arrow cue to direct spatial attention to the peripheral visual field.
  • Presented targets in attended or ignored visual fields and recorded neural responses.

Main Results:

  • Hemispheric differences in slow potentials preceded target presentation, reflecting attention direction.
  • An early negative potential (approx. 200 ms post-cue) over the parietal area indicated attention-directing processes.
  • A later positive potential (approx. 60 ms post-target) over the occipital-parietal region suggested modulation of cortical excitability.
  • Replicated previous findings on spatial attention effects on P1, N1, and P3 ERP components.
  • Boys exhibited higher arousal (CNVs) and faster, greater selective processing (reaction time, N1-P1) than girls.

Conclusions:

  • Distinct neural processes are involved in directing spatial attention and modulating sensory input.
  • ERP measures provide insights into the temporal dynamics of visual-spatial attention in children.
  • Boys may possess advantages in certain aspects of selective attention and arousal compared to girls.