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Abstract

Human parietal cortex consists of a number distinct regions that can be delineated from each other using retinotopic mapping. However, very little is known about their function. I will present a series of fMRI studies (some combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) ) that each sheds light onto distinct regions within parietal cortex, demonstrating that parietal subdivisions have drastically distinct functional preferences. Most likely I will have time to present four studies: on high-level visual ego-motion cues as induced when humans freely view a movie, on the integration of visual motion with self-induced motion through eye-movements, on the representation of ego-centric space beyond the field of view, and on seeing the wood for the trees (i.e. global vs. local Gestalt perception). If time permits, I may additionally present a new study on cortical colour coding that emphasizes a concept introduced also in the motion studies, namely the influence of feedback on early visual cortex that is consistent with predictive coding.