Visual Neuroscience

Visual neuroscience is the study of the brain's ability to process visual information and how this visual information contributes to cognitive processes. It is a branch of neuroscience that attempts to understand the neural mechanisms that enable us to perceive and process visual information. It investigates how the retina, visual pathways, and the visual cortex are involved in processing visual information as well as how perceptions interact with cognitive processes such as attention, decision making, and memory. Research in visual neuroscience has advanced hugely over the last couple of decades and continues to do so. In understanding how the visual system works, scientists and neurologists have made great strides in understanding how other aspects of cognition are involved in the process. For instance, research has suggested that the visual system is intricately connected with the limbic and oculomotor systems, allowing the visual perception to influence our emotional states and behaviors. Tools such as eye-tracking, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are some of the commonly used tools in visual neuroscience research. Eye-tracking allows researchers to measure where an individual is focusing their gaze and by combining this with other brain imaging techniques like fMRI, they can determine the various neural areas involved in visual processing. TMS allows research participants to be stimulated electrically using magnetic fields and gives scientists insights into how the primary visual cortex reacts to these stimuli. Visual neuroscience is an incredibly important area of research as it helps us to understand the complex interactions between our visual system and the rest of our brain circuitry. By studying these processes we can gain greater insights into how our brain works and further our understanding of the normal functioning of the human brain as well as providing invaluable insights into neurological and psychiatric disorders.