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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.

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...

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 27, 2025

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Shape perception via a high-channel-count neuroprosthesis in monkey visual cortex.

Xing Chen¹, Feng Wang², Eduardo Fernandez³

¹Department of Vision & Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, Netherlands. x.chen@nin.knaw.nl p.roelfsema@nin.knaw.nl.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|December 4, 2020

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers implanted a 1024-channel visual cortex prosthesis in monkeys. Electrical stimulation created patterns of light percepts (phosphenes), which monkeys recognized as shapes, demonstrating potential for restoring vision in the blind.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Nov 27, 2025

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings

Published on: August 1, 2018

Laser-scanning Photostimulation of Optogenetically Targeted Forebrain Circuits

Laser-scanning Photostimulation of Optogenetically Targeted Forebrain Circuits

Published on: December 27, 2013

Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns

Stimulus-specific Cortical Visual Evoked Potential Morphological Patterns

Published on: May 12, 2019

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Biomedical Engineering
Ophthalmology

Background:

Blindness impacts 40 million globally, creating a significant need for vision restoration technologies.
Neuroprosthetics offer a potential avenue for restoring functional vision in individuals with blindness.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the feasibility of using a high-channel count visual cortex prosthesis to elicit visual percepts.
To assess the ability of subjects to recognize patterns generated by electrical stimulation of the visual cortex.

Main Methods:

A 1024-channel neuroprosthesis was implanted in the V1 and V4 areas of the visual cortex in monkeys.
Electrical stimulation was used to evoke phosphenes (dots of light) on multiple electrodes.
Simultaneous stimulation of multiple electrodes created patterns of phosphenes.

Main Results:

Stimulated electrode locations corresponded to the receptive fields of neurons, eliciting accurate phosphene percepts.
Activity in area V4 predicted phosphene percepts elicited in V1.
Monkeys demonstrated immediate recognition of patterns composed of multiple phosphenes as simple shapes, motions, or letters.

Conclusions:

Electrical stimulation of the visual cortex can elicit recognizable visual patterns.
This neuroprosthetic approach shows significant potential for restoring functional, life-enhancing vision in blind individuals.