Search

1. News from the Institutes

Signals from the brain reveal what color a person is seeing

Success in predicting the color seen by an observer using the activity patterns measured in the visual cortex of other subjects

09.09.2025

1. Glossary

Praepiriform area

The praepiriform area is part of the piriform cortex in the ventral temporal lobe and belongs to the primary olfactory cortex, i.e., the primary olfactory cortex. Among other things, it contains inputs from the olfactory bulb (bulbus olfactorius) and is therefore involved in the initial cortical processing of olfactory stimuli.

1. News from the Institutes

Interaction between interneurons stabilizes gamma oscillations in a brain

PV+ cells act as the “conductors” of visually induced gamma oscillatory rhythm

26.05.2025

1. Glossary

Posterior parietal cortex

The posterior parietal lobe receives inputs from numerous visual, auditory, somatosensory, and proprioceptive cortical areas. It integrates this information into an overall spatial picture that enables orientation, spatial attention, and the planning and execution of goal-directed movements.

1. Glossary

Insula

The insula is a recessed part of the cortex (cerebral cortex) that is covered by the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. This overlay is called the opercula (lid). The insula influences the motor and sensory functions of the intestines and is considered to be the link between cognitive and emotional elements in pain processing. It is also involved in processes such as taste and physical self-awareness.

1. Glossary

Parahippocampal gyrus

The parahippocampal gyrus runs along the hippocampus in the lower, inner temporal lobe. Its anterior part is covered by the entorhinal cortex. It is connected to numerous areas of the cerebral cortex and projects to the hippocampus, which it also acts as a gateway to. This means that it is involved in the consolidation of explicit memory content, among other things. In addition, the posterior part of the parahippocampal gyrus contains the parahippocampal place area (PPA), which responds particularly to complex visual scenes such as rooms, landscapes, or streets and thus plays an important role in spatial orientation and location recognition.

1. Glossary

Cortical cell layers

The cortical cell layers form the structure of the cerebral cortex and cerebellar cortex. In the cerebral cortex, the number of layers varies, reaching a maximum of six in the neocortex. These six layers differ in terms of cell types and interconnections.

1. Glossary

Occipital lobe

One of the four large lobes of the cerebral cortex. The occipital lobe lies above the cerebellum. It borders the parietal and temporal lobes at the front. The calcarine sulcus divides the occipital lobe into an upper and lower half, the cuneus and the lingual gyrus. Functionally, this area of the brain is responsible for the central processing of visual information – both the primary and secondary visual cortex are located in the occipital lobe.

1. Glossary

Dentate gyrus

The dentate gyrus is part of the hippocampus and acts as its "input station." It receives various sensory inputs from the cortex (cerebral cortex) via the entorhinal cortex. Its densely packed granule cells, which are found in the so-called granular layer, project almost exclusively to the CA3 region of the hippocampus.

1. Think
2. Consciousness

Consciousness: The Ascending Reticular Activating System (ARAS)

Formation reticularis switching center: This region controls alertness and attention.

30.08.2013