biostudies-literatureUnknownSteel ANIMH NIH HHSBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research CouncilConventional views of brain organization suggest that the cortical apex processes internally-oriented information using an abstract, amodal neural code. Yet, recent reports have described the presence of retinotopic coding at the cortical apex, including the default mode network. What is the functional role of retinotopic coding atop the cortical hierarchy? Here, we report that retinotopic coding structures interactions between internally-oriented (mnemonic) and externally-oriented (perceptual) brain areas. Using fMRI, we observed robust, inverted (negative) retinotopic coding in category-selective memory areas at the cortical apex, which is functionally linked to the classic (positive) retinotopic coding in category-selective perceptual areas in high-level visual cortex. Specifically, thebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2023.05.15.540807https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10245578biostudies-literatureA retinotopic code structures the interaction between perception and memory systems.PMC10245578R01 MH130529BB/V003917/1Robertson CEGarcia BDSteel ASilson EHfalseA retinotopic code structures the interaction between perception and memory systems.Conventional views of brain organization suggest that the cortical apex processes internally-oriented information using an abstract, amodal neural code. Yet, recent reports have described the presence of retinotopic coding at the cortical apex, including the default mode network. What is the functional role of retinotopic coding atop the cortical hierarchy? Here, we report that retinotopic coding structures interactions between internally-oriented (mnemonic) and externally-oriented (perceptual) brain areas. Using fMRI, we observed robust, inverted (negative) retinotopic coding in category-selective memory areas at the cortical apex, which is functionally linked to the classic (positive) retinotopic coding in category-selective perceptual areas in high-level visual cortex. Specifically, the2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Oct2025-06-25T03:04:03.493Z2025-04-07T06:25:22.473ZS-EPMC102455783729275810.1101/2023.05.15.540807