Editing Visual memory (section)

=== Posterior parietal cortex ===
[[File:Posterior Parietal Lobe.jpg|thumb|[[Posterior parietal cortex]] (light green) is shown at the posterior area of the [[parietal lobe]]]]

The [[posterior parietal cortex]] is a portion of the [[parietal lobe]], which manipulates mental images, and integrates sensory and motor portions of the brain.

A majority of experiments highlights a role of human posterior parietal cortex in visual [[working memory]] and attention. We therefore have to establish a clear separation of visual memory and attention from processes related to the planning of goal-directed motor behaviors.

We can only hold in mind a minute fraction of the visual scene. These mental representations are stored in visual short-term memory.<ref name="M3">Todd, J, & Marois, R. (2004). Capacity limit of visual short term memory in human posterior parietal cortex. Retrieved from http://www.ioi.knaw.nl/viscog/temp/Todd%20(2004)%20Nature.pdf</ref> Activity in the posterior parietal cortex is tightly correlated with the limited amount of scene information that can be stored in visual short-term memory.<ref name="M3" /> These results suggest that the posterior parietal cortex is a key neural locus of our impoverished mental representation of the visual world.<ref name="M3" />

The [[posterior cortex]] might act as a capacity-limited store for the representation of the visual scene, the frontal/prefrontal cortex might be necessary for the [[Memory consolidation|consolidation]] and/or maintenance of this store, especially during extended retention intervals.