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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

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Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

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Association Areas of the Cortex

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 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

Neuronal representation of visual working memory content in the primate primary visual cortex.

Jiancao Huang¹, Tian Wang^1,2, Weifeng Dai¹

¹State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.

Science Advances

|June 14, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Scientists studied how the brain stores visual memories. Neurons in the visual cortex show distinct firing patterns for visual working memory, revealing how the mind

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Author Spotlight: Insights into Visual Cortex Research Through Wide-View fMRI Mapping

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Visual Perception

Background:

The human mind's ability to recall vivid visual memories, often described as the "mind's eye," is a complex cognitive function.
Understanding the neural basis of visual working memory is crucial for deciphering memory encoding and retrieval processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neural substrates and neuronal representations of visual working memory content.
To explore how the brain encodes and maintains visual information in the absence of external stimuli.

Main Methods:

Electrophysiological recordings were used to monitor neuronal activity in the primary visual cortex of monkeys.
Researchers analyzed the firing patterns of individual neurons during tasks involving visual working memory.

Main Results:

Neurons in the primary visual cortex exhibit distinct firing patterns for different visual memory contents, differing from responses to external stimuli.
The neuronal representation of visual working memory content is dynamic, changing with recalled information.
These memory representations extend beyond traditional retinotopic areas associated with external visual processing.

Conclusions:

The primary visual cortex plays a significant role in the neural encoding of visual memories.
Neuronal activity patterns provide insights into the brain's capacity to generate and sustain internal visual representations.
This research opens new avenues for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the "mind's eye" and memory recall.