Editing Visual cortex (section)

=== Connections ===
MT is connected to a wide array of cortical and subcortical brain areas. Its input comes from visual cortical areas V1, V2 and dorsal V3 ([[dorsomedial area]]),<ref name="FellemanVanEssen">{{cite journal | vauthors = Felleman DJ, Van Essen DC | title = Distributed hierarchical processing in the primate cerebral cortex | journal = Cerebral Cortex | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | pages = 1–47 | year = 1991 | pmid = 1822724 | doi = 10.1093/cercor/1.1.1-a | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="UngerleiderDesimone">{{cite journal | vauthors = Ungerleider LG, Desimone R | title = Cortical connections of visual area MT in the macaque | journal = The Journal of Comparative Neurology | volume = 248 | issue = 2 | pages = 190–222 | date = June 1986 | pmid = 3722458 | doi = 10.1002/cne.902480204 | s2cid = 1876622 }}</ref> the [[koniocellular]] regions of the [[LGN]],<ref name="Sincich">{{cite journal | vauthors = Sincich LC, Park KF, Wohlgemuth MJ, Horton JC | title = Bypassing V1: a direct geniculate input to area MT | journal = Nature Neuroscience | volume = 7 | issue = 10 | pages = 1123–1128 | date = October 2004 | pmid = 15378066 | doi = 10.1038/nn1318 | s2cid = 13419990 }}</ref> and the [[pulvinar nuclei|inferior pulvinar]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Warner CE, Goldshmit Y, Bourne JA | title = Retinal afferents synapse with relay cells targeting the middle temporal area in the pulvinar and lateral geniculate nuclei | journal = Frontiers in Neuroanatomy | volume = 4 | pages = 8 | year = 2010 | pmid = 20179789 | pmc = 2826187 | doi = 10.3389/neuro.05.008.2010 | doi-access = free }}</ref> The pattern of projections to MT changes somewhat between the representations of the foveal and peripheral visual fields, with the latter receiving inputs from areas located in the midline cortex and [[retrosplenial region]].<ref name="PalmerRosa2006">{{cite journal | vauthors = Palmer SM, Rosa MG | title = A distinct anatomical network of cortical areas for analysis of motion in far peripheral vision | journal = The European Journal of Neuroscience | volume = 24 | issue = 8 | pages = 2389–2405 | date = October 2006 | pmid = 17042793 | doi = 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2006.05113.x | s2cid = 21562682 }}</ref>

A standard view is that V1 provides the "most important" input to MT.<ref name="BornBradley" /> Nonetheless, several studies have demonstrated that neurons in MT are capable of responding to visual information, often in a direction-selective manner, even after V1 has been destroyed or inactivated.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Rodman HR, Gross CG, Albright TD | title = Afferent basis of visual response properties in area MT of the macaque. I. Effects of striate cortex removal | journal = The Journal of Neuroscience | volume = 9 | issue = 6 | pages = 2033–2050 | date = June 1989 | pmid = 2723765 | pmc = 6569731 | doi = 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.09-06-02033.1989 }}</ref> Moreover, research by [[Semir Zeki]] and collaborators has suggested that certain types of visual information may reach MT before it even reaches V1.

MT sends its major output to areas located in the cortex immediately surrounding it, including areas FST, [[Medial superior temporal area|MST]], and V4t (middle temporal crescent). Other projections of MT target the eye movement-related areas of the frontal and parietal lobes (frontal eye field and lateral intraparietal area).