A step toward understanding the human ventral visual pathway

The human ventral visual pathway is implicated in higher order form processing, but the organizational principles within this region are not yet well understood. Recently, Lafer-Sousa, Conway, and Kanwisher ( J Neurosci 36: 1682-1697, 2016) used functional magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate that functional responses in the human ventral visual pathway share a broad homology with the those in macaque inferior temporal cortex, providing new evidence supporting the validity of the macaque as a model of the human visual system in this region. In addition, these results give new clues for understanding the organizational principles within the ventral visual pathway and the processing of higher order color and form, suggesting new avenues for research into this cortical region.