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Related Experiment Videos

The dorsal "action" pathway.

Jason P Gallivan1, Melvyn A Goodale2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Handbook of Clinical Neurology
|March 10, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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The ventral and dorsal visual streams have distinct roles: the ventral stream for perception and the dorsal stream for action control. Recent evidence supports this division, highlighting their complementary functions in skilled behavior.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Visual Processing

Background:

  • The two-visual-system hypothesis proposes distinct ventral (perception) and dorsal (action) pathways in primate visual cortex.
  • This hypothesis, while debated, is supported by evidence from various research fields.
  • Distinct computational demands exist for vision guiding perception versus action.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence supporting the neuroanatomic division of visual processing into ventral and dorsal streams.
  • To focus on recent human neuroimaging and monkey neurophysiology findings.
  • To discuss the integration of these pathways for goal-directed behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature from human neuropsychology, neuroimaging, psychophysics, and monkey neurophysiology.
Keywords:
actiondorsal streamgraspingmotorparietal cortexperceptionreachingvision

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  • Emphasis on recent human neuroimaging data.
  • Emphasis on recent monkey neurophysiology data.

    • Main Results:

    • Significant evidence supports a specialized role for the parietal cortex in visually guided behavior (dorsal stream).
    • Dedicated neural circuits appear to mediate visual perception (ventral stream) and action control (dorsal stream).
    • Close coupling and integration between ventral and dorsal streams are essential for adaptive behavior.

    Conclusions:

    • The ventral and dorsal visual streams play distinct but complementary roles in skilled behavior.
    • Integration between these pathways is crucial for producing adaptive, goal-directed actions.
    • The two-visual-system hypothesis continues to be supported by accumulating neuroscientific evidence.