Higher-Level Processing and Visual Perception Article Swipe
YOU?
·
· 2016
· Open Access
·
· DOI: https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/9780262034616.003.0006
· OA: W2522652392
Cortical area V1 projects mainly to adjacent area V2 where stripe-like regions contain neurons mainly orientation-selective, movement-sensitive, or color-selective. From there, neurons project to separate areas concerned with form, movement, or color. Damage to the color area renders an individual blind to colors but able to see movement and form. Damage to the movement area renders a patient unable to discern movement. From these areas, visual information passes along two major pathways. The “what” pathway is involved in object recognition, whereas the “where” pathway is concerned with where an object is in space. The further along a pathway, the more specialized are the neurons in terms of what they respond to. For example, an area far along the “what” pathway has face-selective neurons. Visual perception depends on the visual cortex and some generalizations as to how we perceive images are suggested. If a patient has a large lesion in area V1, they lose all visual perception and claim they are completely blind. However they still have visual abilities that they are not aware of, called blindsight. For example, if a light spot is shone upon a wall, such an individual will point directly at it. This raises the interesting question of whether animals that have little cortex–frogs and fish, for example–are aware of what they are “seeing.”
