Left insular cortex and left SFG underlie prismatic adaptation effects on time perception: evidence from fMRI.
Prismatic adaptation (PA) has been shown to affect left-to-right spatial representations of temporal durations. A leftward aftereffect usually distorts time representation toward an underestimation, while rightward aftereffect usually results in an overestimation of temporal durations. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the neural mechanisms that underlie PA effects on time perception. Additionally, we investigated whether the effect of PA on time is transient or stable and, in the case of stability, which cortical areas are responsible of its maintenance. Functional brain images were acquired while participants (n=17) performed a time reproduction task and a control-task before, immediately after and 30 min after PA inducing a leftward aftereffect, administered outside the scanner. The leftward aftereffect induced an underestimation of time intervals that lasted for at least 30 min. The left anterior insula and the left superior frontal gyrus showed increased functional activation immediately after versus before PA in the time versus the control-task, suggesting these brain areas to be involved in the executive spatial manipulation of the representation of time. The left middle frontal gyrus showed an increase of activation after 30 min with respect to before PA. This suggests that this brain region may play a key role in the maintenance of the PA effect over time.
Fondazione "Santa Lucia", IRCCS, 00179 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: barbara.magnani2@unibo.its.
Barbara
B
Magnani
Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy; Fondazione Salvatore Maugeri, Clinica del Lavoro e della Riabilitazione, IRCCS, Istituto Scientifico di Castel Goffredo, 46042 Mantova, Italy.
Francesca
F
Frassinetti
Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK.
Thomas
T
Ditye
Fondazione "Santa Lucia", IRCCS, 00179 Roma, Italy; Department of Psychology, University of Palermo, 90100 Palermo, Italy.
Massimiliano
M
Oliveri
Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, University G. d'Annunzio, 66013 Chieti, Italy; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies - ITAB, Foundation University G. d'Annunzio, 66013 Chieti, Italy.
Marcello
M
Costantini
Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK.
Vincent
V
Walsh
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D005366:Figural Aftereffect / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
Left frontal lobe; Prismatic adaptation; Spatial representation of time