Unlocking the functions of the left and right ventral visual cortex
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Unlocking the functions of the left and right ventral visual cortex: an approach synthesising neuropsychological, behavioural and neuroimaging methods
IRAS ID
158507
Contact name
Daniel Roberts
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Daily life involves a variety of visually-based activities. We recognise objects and what they are used for. We read our mail to pay bills and write letters to friends. We know that making a cup of tea involves the ability to recognise associated objects (e.g., cup, tea bag). We can identify people we know, and recall that they take milk and two sugars in their tea. These processes happen automatically and are vital to every aspect of life (exacerbated by reliance of the internet, email and social media on the visual medium). Brain damage (e.g., tumour resection, stroke) is a major cause of visual recognition impairment which can many take different forms, such as inability to read, name objects and faces. Understanding how the visual brain is organised and what types of damage cause these deficits is a key question in cognitive and social neuroscience, and in rehabilitation for the long-term care of affected individuals. This project contributes to the question by investigating the role of the ventral visual cortex in the perception of different categories of visual objects and how this breaks down after left ventral cortex (LVC) and right ventral cortex (RVC) brain damage.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0461
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion