Ventraalireitti

Ventraalireitti, often translated as ventral route or ventral pathway, refers to a specific neural pathway in the brain responsible for processing sensory information related to the ventral stream of visual processing. This pathway is crucial for object recognition and visual memory. It originates in the primary visual cortex (V1) and then projects to higher-level visual areas in the temporal lobe. The ventral stream allows us to identify what we are seeing, associating visual input with stored memories and concepts.

The information processed through the ventraalireitti moves from the back of the brain forward. Damage to areas within this pathway can lead to various visual agnosias, such as the inability to recognize faces (prosopagnosia) or objects (visual object agnosia), even though the individual's eyesight and ability to perceive basic visual features like color and shape remain intact. Researchers study the ventraalireitti using techniques like fMRI and lesion studies to understand how the brain constructs our visual perception of the world and enables us to identify and understand what we see.