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Vision

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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.

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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,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Published on: March 18, 2019

Neural mechanisms of object-based attention.

Daniel Baldauf¹, Robert Desimone

¹McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139 MA, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|April 26, 2014

Summary

Object-based attention mechanisms remain unclear. This study reveals that the inferior frontal junction (IFJ) directs visual processing by synchronizing neural activity with specialized brain areas like the fusiform face area (FFA) and parahippocampal place area (PPA).

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Visual Attention

Background:

Understanding how the brain processes attended objects when features are not spatially separable is a significant challenge.
Previous research has not fully elucidated the neural mechanisms underlying object-based attention.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neural basis of object-based attention, specifically how the brain separates and attends to objects with overlapping features.
To identify brain regions and oscillatory mechanisms involved in directing attention to specific object categories (faces vs. houses).

Main Methods:

Utilized magnetoencephalography (MEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to record brain activity.
Presented participants with temporally and spatially overlapping visual streams of faces and houses.

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Last Updated: Apr 30, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

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Published on: March 18, 2019

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

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Published on: July 5, 2015

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

VisualEyes: A Modular Software System for Oculomotor Experimentation

Published on: March 25, 2011

Analyzed neuronal responses to attended versus unattended objects.

Main Results:

Attention to faces enhanced sensory responses in the fusiform face area (FFA), while attention to houses enhanced responses in the parahippocampal place area (PPA).
Increased gamma synchrony was observed between the inferior frontal junction (IFJ) and either FFA or PPA, correlating with the attended object.
The IFJ led the gamma phase by approximately 20 ms, suggesting it drives the synchrony.

Conclusions:

The inferior frontal junction (IFJ) plays a crucial role in directing object-based visual attention.
Coupled neural oscillations, particularly gamma synchrony driven by the IFJ, facilitate attention to specific object features processed in specialized brain regions.