Visual mental imagery: Evidence for a heterarchical neural architecture

Spagna, Alfredo; Heidenry, Zoe; Miselevich, Michelle; Lambert, Chloe; Eisenstadt, Benjamin E.; Tremblay, Laura; Liu, Zixin; Liu, Jianghao; Bartolomeo, Paolo

doi:10.1016/j.plrev.2023.12.012

Cited by 14 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 145 publications

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“…Despite these limitations, our findings shed light on the left-predominant circuits of individual-level visual mental imagery, encompassing the FIN, FP networks, and, importantly, domain-preferring VTC regions. This evidence suggests the presence of distinct domain-general and domain-preferring cortical components of visual mental imagery(Spagna et al, 2024). Our results also demonstrate that visual mental imagery and visual perception share similar neural mechanisms in the high-level visual cortex.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Visual mental imagery in typical imagers and in aphantasia: A millimeter-scale 7-T fMRI study

Liu

Zhan

Hajhajate

et al. 2023

Preprint

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We used ultra-high field 7T fMRI to establish the neural circuits involved in visual mental imagery and perception, and to elucidate the neural mechanisms associated with imagery absence in congenital aphantasia. Ten typical imagers and 10 aphantasic individuals performed imagery and perceptual tasks in five domains: object shape, object color, written words, faces, and spatial relationships. In typical imagers, imagery tasks activated left-hemisphere fronto-parietal areas, a domain-general area in the left fusiform gyrus (the Fusiform Imagery Node), together with the relevant domain-preferring areas in the ventral temporal cortex. In aphantasic individuals, imagery activated similar areas, but the Fusiform Imagery Node was functionally disconnected from fronto-parietal areas. Our results unveil the domain-general and domain-specific circuits of visual mental imagery, their functional disorganization in aphantasia, and support the general hypothesis that subjective visual experience - whether perceived or imagined - depends on the integrated activity of high-level visual cortex and fronto-parietal networks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Visual mental imagery in typical imagers and in aphantasia: A millimeter-scale 7-T fMRI study

Liu

Zhan

Hajhajate

et al. 2023

Preprint

Self Cite

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“…The left inferior temporal lobe, particularly the fusiform gyrus, has garnered significant attention in neuroscientific research for its role in visual imagery and vividness (Spagna et al, 2023). This region's involvement is underscored by a convergence of evidence from various research methodologies, including early work and contemporary work underscoring its importance for domain-general and category-specific visual processing (Haxby et al, 2001;Ishai et al, 2000;Liu et al, 2023) neurological case studies (Bartolomeo, 2002;Thorudottir et al, 2020), effective connectivity analyses (N. , and meta-analytic task fMRI activation studies (Fulford et al, 2018;Spagna et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vividness of Visual Imagery Supported by Intrinsic Structural-Functional Brain Network Dynamics

Kvamme,

Lumaca,

Zana

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Vividness of visual imagery is subject to individual variability, a phenomenon with largely unexplored neurobiological underpinnings. By analyzing data from 273 participants we explored the link between the structural-functional organization of brain connectomes and the reported intensity of visual imagery (measured with VVIQ-2). Employing graph theory analyses we investigated both the structural (DTI) and functional (rs-fMRI) connectomes within a network of regions often implicated in visual imagery. Our results indicate a relationship between increased local efficiency and clustering coefficients in the structural connectome in individuals who experience more vivid visual imagery. Increased local efficiency and clustering coefficients were mirrored in the functional connectome with increases in left inferior temporal regions, a region frequently identified as a critical hub in the visual imagery literature. Furthermore, individuals with more vivid imagery were found to have lower levels of global efficiency in their functional connectome. We propose that the clarity and intensity of visual imagery are optimized by a network organization characterized by heightened localized information transfer and interconnectedness. Conversely, an excessively globally integrated network might dilute the specific neural activity crucial for generating vivid visual images, leading to less locally concentrated resource allocation in key regions involved in visual imagery vividness.

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Aphantasia and involuntary imagery

Krempel,

Monzel

2024

Consciousness and Cognition

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Visual mental imagery: Evidence for a heterarchical neural architecture

Cited by 14 publications

References 145 publications

Visual mental imagery in typical imagers and in aphantasia: A millimeter-scale 7-T fMRI study

Visual mental imagery in typical imagers and in aphantasia: A millimeter-scale 7-T fMRI study

Vividness of Visual Imagery Supported by Intrinsic Structural-Functional Brain Network Dynamics

Aphantasia and involuntary imagery

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