Shaping the Space: A Role for the Hippocampus in Mental Imagery Formation

Vision, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 9(1), P. 2 - 2

Published: Jan. 8, 2025

Mental imagery is claimed to underlie a host of abilities, such as episodic memory, working and decision-making. A popular view holds that mental relies on the perceptual system it can be said 'vision in reverse'. Whereas vision exploits bottom-up neural pathways visual system, top-down pathways. But contribution some other areas remains overlooked. In this article, I explore important contributions hippocampus, area traditionally associated with formation. highlight evidence which supports hippocampus contributes spatial model used for argue we distinguish different hippocampal circuits contribute kinds imagery, object scene temporal aspect. This has significant upshots research, opens new avenue further research into role variety tasks.

Language: Английский

---

Brain Functional Connectivity During First- and Third-Person Visual Imagery

Vision, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 9(2), P. 30 - 30

Published: April 6, 2025

The ability to adopt different perspectives, or vantage points, is fundamental human cognition, affecting reasoning, memory, and imagery. While the first-person perspective allows individuals experience a scene through their own eyes, third-person involves an external viewpoint, which thought demand greater cognitive effort neural processing. Despite frequent use of switching across various contexts, including modern media in therapeutic settings, mechanisms differentiating these two perspectives visual imagery remain largely underexplored. In exploratory fMRI study, we compared both activation task-based functional connectivity underlying taking same 26 participants performing spatial egocentric tasks, namely imaginary tennis house navigation. No significant differences emerged between conditions. network-based statistics analysis revealed small subnetwork early posterior temporal areas that manifested stronger during perspective, suggesting closer sensory recruitment loop, or, terms, loop long-term memory "visual buffer" circuits. absence strong distinction suggests may not fully decenter from scene, as often assumed.

Language: Английский

---

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

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 5, 2024

Abstract 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 structural-functional organization brain connectomes and reported intensity (measured VVIQ-2). Employing graph theory analyses investigated both structural (DTI) functional (rs-fMRI) within network regions often implicated in imagery. Our results indicate relationship increased local efficiency clustering coefficients connectome individuals who experience more vivid Increased were mirrored increases left inferior temporal regions, region frequently identified as critical hub literature. Furthermore, found have lower levels global their connectome. We propose that clarity are optimized by characterized heightened localized information transfer interconnectedness. Conversely, an excessively globally integrated might dilute specific neural activity crucial for generating images, leading less locally concentrated resource allocation key involved vividness.

Language: Английский

---

A Systematic Review of Aphantasia: Concept, Measurement, Neural Basis, and Theory Development

Vision, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 8(3), P. 56 - 56

Published: Sept. 22, 2024

People with aphantasia exhibit the inability to voluntarily generate or form mental imagery in their minds. Since term “aphantasia” was proposed describe this, it has gained increasing attention from psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and clinicians. Previous studies have mainly focused on definition, prevalence, measurement of aphantasia, its impacts individuals’ cognitive emotional processing, theoretical frameworks synthesizing existing findings, which contributed greatly our understanding aphantasia. However, there are still some debates regarding conclusions derived research theories that were constructed various sources evidence. Building upon endeavors, this systematic review emphasizes future is much needed refine definition diagnosis strengthen empirical investigations at behavioral neural levels, and, more importantly, develop update theories. These multiple lines efforts could lead a deeper further guide researchers directions.

Language: Английский

---