The
   ventral 
 
 

Stream
 
 

Created for you by Virginia Berrow, Robin Sawires & Kristyn St. Onge

The visual brain is a complex system.  Visual information is received from the primary visual cortex of the occipital lobe of the brain.  The information is then analyzed in the visual association cortex in either the temporal lobe or the parietal lobe.  To scientists, Milner and Goodale  proposed that visual information processing is separated into two streams for analysis.  Both streams begin in the primary visual cortex and separate with one stream turning downwards and ending in the cortex of the inferior temporal lobe.  The other stream turns upward, ending in the cortex of the posterior parietal lobe. (Carlson, 1998).  The ventral cortical stream (visual cortex to inferotemporal cortex) is responsible for the ‘what’ perception and a dorsal stream (visual cortex to posterior parietal cortex) responsible for the ‘where’ perceptions.  (Allard, 2001).
 

For More Information on the VENTRAL STREAM please click on the following links:

• General anatomy of the ventral system
• Functions of the ventral stream
• Disorders of the ventral stream
• References