Posterior parietal networks encoding visual space

Abstract

Clinical data on patients with cortical lesions suggest that the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is involved in the representation of visual space. After a stroke that involves the PPC, patients often find that their conception of space completely alters. This impairment seems to be the result of two main deficits, one involving the cognitive reconstruction of the visual space (e.g., spatial neglect) and the other the use of visuospatial information by the effectors in visually guided actions (optic ataxia). The neurophysiological counterpart of these clinical data is represented by the functional properties of PPC neurons, particularly of those involved in the encoding process of visual space. The aim of this chapter is to analyse and review the cellular mechanisms that are probably involved in the encoding process of visual space in physiological conditions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)