The standard pathway for sensory input to the cortex involves passing through the thalamus, which then directs signals to specific cortical areas for processing.

“So, we've known about a pathway that gets from the retina through this sort of linker center which it's called the thalamus, and then. [indistinct] Exactly, but you want to arrive at the destination. Right now you're at grand central and now you can do your thing 'cause you're up at the cortex. So this is the standard pattern. You have sensory input coming from the periphery, you've got these peripheral elements that are doing the initial stages of. - The eye, the ear, the nose. - Your skin of your fingertips, right? The taste buds on your tongue they're taking this raw information in and they're doing some pre-processing maybe or the early circuits are. But eventually, most of these signals have to pass through the gateway to the cortex which is the thalamus.”