Professor Earl Miller describes research that shows objects are recognized using higher brain regions, specifically the prefrontal cortex.
Transcript:
Visual categories were thought to be largely represented in the visual cortex and the more posterior parts of the brain. What we found is that these visual categories, at least learned visual categories, categories the monkeys had to be trained to use, are explicitly represented in the prefrontal cortex and not in visual cortex. That was a surprise to me and a surprise to a number of people in the field because we thought it would be happening at a lower level than what we actually discovered. It's happening at the highest reaches of the brain, at least for categories that are brand new learned categories.
Professor Earl Miller explains that the visual cortex, inferior temporal cortex, and prefrontal cortex perform distinct functions in object identification.
The temporal lobes contain a large number of substructures, whose functions include perception, face recognition, object recognition, memory, language, and emotion.
The prefrontal cortex is thought to play an important role in 'higher' brain functions. It is a critical part of the executive system, which refers to planning, reasoning, and judgment.
The ability to prioritize mental tasks, to focus on them, and to shift the focus to other tasks as the need arises is critical to the success of every human activity.
Doctor Daniel Pine explains that in rodents, humans, and other primates, the amygdala mediates the stress response. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is also important.