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

Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

10.2K
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,...
10.2K
Visual System01:26

Visual System

2.3K
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...
2.3K
Vision01:24

Vision

48.5K
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.
48.5K
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

8.0K
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....
8.0K
Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

8.3K
At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category,...
8.3K
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

5.0K
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...
5.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

A dietary switch promotes sensory neuron-dependent cancer-associated cachexia.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Love, death, and oxytocin: In memory of Larry Young.

Progress in neurobiology·2026
Same author

Oxytocin selectively biases sensory-prefrontal communication through network-level suppression and theta coupling.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Activity-dependent protein synthesis in neurons requires microglial-metabolic coupling.

Cell metabolism·2026
Same author

Integrin-deficient T cell leukemia accumulates in the central nervous system.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
Same author

Sex differences in neuromodulatory subcortical systems and their implications for Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions
10:45

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Published on: July 6, 2011

11.2K

A collicular-hypothalamic pathway for social visual awareness.

Kelvin Quinones-Laracuente1,2,3,4,5, Naomi López Caraballo2,3,5, Asha Y Caslin1,2,3,6

  • 1Translational Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|April 27, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mice viewing social videos showed increased oxytocin neuron activity and faster pup retrieval. A specific visual pathway from the superior colliculus to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) drives this social motivation and parental behavior.

More Related Videos

Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis
13:51

Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis

Published on: November 9, 2011

21.0K
Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography
13:26

Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography

Published on: August 11, 2016

11.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions
10:45

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Published on: July 6, 2011

11.2K
Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis
13:51

Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis

Published on: November 9, 2011

21.0K
Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography
13:26

Measuring Connectivity in the Primary Visual Pathway in Human Albinism Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Tractography

Published on: August 11, 2016

11.3K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Ethology
  • Behavioral Biology

Background:

  • Social behavior relies on recognizing other individuals.
  • Understanding neural mechanisms of social awareness and motivation is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how neural systems detect visual conspecifics.
  • To explore the link between social visual cues, oxytocin release, and parental behavior acquisition.

Main Methods:

  • Recorded from oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and superficial superior colliculus (sSC) projecting to PVN (sSC→PVN).
  • Used optogenetics to silence PVN oxytocin neurons.
  • Presented mice with social and non-social videos, measuring pup retrieval behavior and neural activity.

Main Results:

  • Social videos activated PVN oxytocin neurons and accelerated pup retrieval onset in virgin female mice.
  • Optogenetic silencing of PVN oxytocin neurons blocked this behavioral effect.
  • sSC→PVN neurons showed specialized tuning for social visual stimuli, particularly pup retrieval.

Conclusions:

  • A subcortical visual pathway (sSC→PVN) signals conspecific presence to the oxytocin system.
  • This pathway mediates social visual awareness, driving neuroendocrine arousal and parental behavior acquisition.