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Published on: May 10, 2024
Role of motor processes in extrinsically encoding mental transformations
Maryjane Wraga1, Holly K Boyle, Catherine M Flynn
1Department of Psychology, Smith College, Science Center, Bass Hall 304, Northampton, MA 01063, United States. mwraga@smith.edu
Brain and Cognition
|October 5, 2010
Summary
Imagining object and perspective rotations activates brain motor areas. The study explored how the body percept influences these mental transformations using fMRI, finding varied motor area involvement and strategy use.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Human Motor Control
Background:
- Previous studies linked imagined perspective rotations to spatial and motor brain areas when using the body percept.
- The role of the body percept in other mental transformations remains less understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the body percept recruits low-level cortical motor areas during imagined object and perspective rotations.
- To examine the relationship between body percept recruitment, performance, and strategy use in mental transformations.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to monitor brain activity.
- Participants performed imagined object and perspective rotations of 3D stimuli.
- Button presses indicated the location of stimuli relative to the participant's perceived right and left.
Main Results:
- Low-level cortical motor activation (M1) was observed for both object and perspective rotations.
- The degree of M1 activation's relation to performance varied between transformation types.
- Differences in the recruitment of nonmotoric strategies were also noted.
Conclusions:
- The body percept contributes to low-level cortical motor activation in diverse mental transformations.
- The findings suggest distinct roles for the body percept in extrinsically encoded mental transformations.
- Future research should explore the nuanced interplay between body percept, motor areas, and cognitive strategies.
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