Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

4.0K
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....
4.0K
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

5.5K
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,...
5.5K
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:24

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

539
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...
539
Somatosensation01:33

Somatosensation

36.7K
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
36.7K
Vision01:24

Vision

53.5K
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.
53.5K
Visual System01:26

Visual System

613
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...
613

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Laminar architecture of visual and auditory responses in the supplementary eye field of macaques.

Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)·2026
Same author

Visual cortical dynamics supporting predictable attentional capture.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Visual memory.

Attention, perception & psychophysics·2026
Same author

Experience the Music of the Mind with <i>Art of Neuroscience</i> 15th Edition.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026
Same author

A. J. Major et al. reply.

Nature neuroscience·2025
Same author

Sensory Neural Noise as a Limiting Factor in Visual Working Memory Precision in Neurotypicals and Schizophrenia.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same journal

Kat5 deficiency in alveolar type II cells licenses STAT6-driven glycolytic reprogramming and pulmonary fibrosis.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Continuous nonthermal slab gap formed by progressive tearing beneath Northeast Asia.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Zeolitic isolated protonic acid sites-mediated NH<sub>3</sub> storage for robust NO<sub>x</sub> removal.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Coaxially nested component with asymmetric fiber resonant cavity and separation membrane for gaseous and dissolved gases detection.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Near-unity charge readout signal in a nonlinear resonator without matching the sensor dissipation.

Nature communications·2026
Same journal

Prokaryotic Schlafen proteins cleave tRNAs during type III CRISPR immunity.

Nature communications·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2025

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

7.1K

Feedforward attentional selection in sensory cortex.

Jacob A Westerberg1,2,3,4, Jeffrey D Schall5,6,7,8, Geoffrey F Woodman9,10,11

  • 1Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37240, USA. j.westerberg@nin.knaw.nl.

Nature Communications
|September 26, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Salient objects capture attention through early sensory processing, not top-down guidance. This feedforward activation in the brain

More Related Videos

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

9.1K
Simultaneous Eye Tracking and Single-Neuron Recordings in Human Epilepsy Patients
07:43

Simultaneous Eye Tracking and Single-Neuron Recordings in Human Epilepsy Patients

Published on: June 17, 2019

7.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 15, 2025

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

7.1K
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

9.1K
Simultaneous Eye Tracking and Single-Neuron Recordings in Human Epilepsy Patients
07:43

Simultaneous Eye Tracking and Single-Neuron Recordings in Human Epilepsy Patients

Published on: June 17, 2019

7.8K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Visual Perception
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

  • Salient objects capture attention due to their distinctiveness.
  • The neural mechanisms underlying attentional capture are debated, specifically the roles of bottom-up sensory processing versus top-down cognitive control.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the timing and cortical layer specificity of neural responses during attentional capture.
  • To differentiate between feedforward sensory processing and top-down feedback mechanisms in guiding attention.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded synaptic and spiking activity in cortical columns of area V4 in macaque monkeys.
  • Monkeys performed a visual search task for a color singleton target.
  • Analyzed neural responses in relation to target-distractor discrimination and behavioral performance.

Main Results:

  • A neural signature of attentional capture was identified in the earliest responses within layer 4 of the sensory cortex.
  • The strength of this early layer 4 response correlated with behavioral measures of response time and accuracy.
  • This early response occurred before potential top-down influences and in a cortical layer not directly targeted by top-down connections.

Conclusions:

  • Feedforward activation within the sensory cortex can drive attentional priority.
  • These findings support the role of bottom-up sensory processing in the initial stages of attentional capture.
  • The results challenge the necessity of top-down control for establishing initial attentional priority.