Tracking the mind's image in the brain I: time-resolved fMRI during visuospatial mental imagery.
Mental imagery, the generation and manipulation of mental representations in the absence of sensory stimulation, is a core element of numerous cognitive processes. We investigate the cortical mechanisms underlying imagery and spatial analysis in the visual domain using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging during the mental clock task. The time-resolved analysis of cortical activation from auditory perception to motor response reveals a sequential activation of the left and right posterior parietal cortex, suggesting that these regions perform distinct functions in this imagery task. This is confirmed by a trial-by-trial analysis of correlations between reaction time and onset, width, and amplitude of the hemodynamic response. These findings pose neurophysiological constraints on cognitive models of mental imagery.
Formisano
Elia
E
Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Universiteit Maastricht, Postbus 616, The Netherlands.
Linden
David E J
DE
Di Salle
Francesco
F
Trojano
Luigi
L
Esposito
Fabrizio
F
Sack
Alexander T
AT
Grossi
Dario
D
Zanella
Friedhelm E
FE
Goebel
Rainer
R
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination / Q000502:physiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*