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.

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....

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...

Subconsciousness and No Awareness

Subconsciousness and No Awareness

The concept of subconscious awareness refers to the processing of information below the level of conscious thought, which significantly influences both behaviors and decisions. It is also known as waking subconscious awareness. This complex level of cognition operates without the direct awareness of the individual, facilitating rapid and simultaneous handling of multiple information streams.
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

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...

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

Enhancing Affective Cognitive Control in Bipolar Disorder Using Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial and Proof of Concept Study.

Bipolar disorders·2026

Same author

Assessing the effects of non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation (tACS and tDCS) on electrophysiological sleep parameters - a systematic review.

Sleep medicine reviews·2026

Same author

Human intracranial signal stability tracks anatomical accuracy after electrode reimplantation.

Journal of neural engineering·2026

Same author

Toward a biomimetic neurostimulation taxonomy: Distinguishing replay approaches from engineered transcranial endogenous current stimulation.

Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·2026

Same author

Targeted Connectomic Neuromodulation of the Orbitofrontal Cortex To Treat Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2026

Same author

Suppression of endogenous alpha power predicts clinical response to 10 Hz tACS in major depressive disorder: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Brain stimulation·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics

Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics

Published on: July 23, 2020

Awake vs. anesthetized: layer-specific sensory processing in visual cortex and functional connectivity between

Kristin K Sellers¹, Davis V Bennett², Axel Hutt³

¹Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina;

Journal of Neurophysiology

|April 3, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

General anesthesia significantly alters brain activity, impairing sensory processing and network connectivity in visual and prefrontal cortices. This study reveals how anesthetics affect neural responses across cortical layers.

Keywords:

anesthesia ferret frequency structure isoflurane prefrontal cortex

More Related Videos

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording

Published on: September 8, 2011

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity

Published on: May 7, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics

Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics

Published on: July 23, 2020

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording

Examining Local Network Processing using Multi-contact Laminar Electrode Recording

Published on: September 8, 2011

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity

A Large Lateral Craniotomy Procedure for Mesoscale Wide-field Optical Imaging of Brain Activity

Published on: May 7, 2017

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Anesthesiology
Systems Neuroscience

Background:

General anesthesia profoundly alters brain activity and behavior.
Understanding anesthetic effects on sensory processing and cortical connectivity is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate how anesthetics impact sensory processing across cortical layers.
Examine anesthetic modulation of functional cortico-cortical connectivity between visual and prefrontal areas.

Main Methods:

Recorded multiunit activity and local field potentials in awake and anesthetized ferrets.
Utilized sensory stimulation to probe neural responses in primary visual cortex (V1) and prefrontal cortex (PFC).
Administered isoflurane and xylazine for general anesthesia.

Main Results:

Anesthetics altered the duration and layer-specific dynamics of sensory-evoked responses.
Multimodal interactions in V1 and sensory responses in PFC were suppressed.
Functional cortico-cortical connectivity between V1 and PFC was reduced.

Conclusions:

Anesthesia alters sensory processing at the micro- and mesoscale levels within the cortical microcircuit.
General anesthesia impairs functional network connectivity, affecting sensory information flow across brain regions.