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Shared Neural Mechanisms of Visual Perception and Imagery
Nadine Dijkstra1, Sander E Bosch1, Marcel A J van Gerven1
1Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|March 17, 2019
Summary
Visual perception and imagery share significant neural processing, particularly in higher visual areas. However, imagery lacks bottom-up processing, suggesting distinct neural pathways.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Visual Cognition
Background:
- The neural basis of visual imagery versus perception has been debated for decades.
- Understanding shared and distinct neural mechanisms is crucial for cognitive science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review neuroimaging studies comparing neural mechanisms of visual perception and imagery.
- To elucidate the overlap and differences in brain activity between these two visual experiences.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent neuroimaging studies.
- Comparative analysis of neural processing during visual perception and imagery tasks.
- Examination of brain regions involved, including visual, parietal, and frontal cortex.
Main Results:
- Significant overlap in neural representations for imagined and perceived stimuli.
- Similarities observed in visual, parietal, and frontal cortex activation.
- Shared reliance on top-down connectivity in both processes.
- Absence of bottom-up processing during visual imagery is a key distinction.
Conclusions:
- Visual imagery and perception largely utilize overlapping neural mechanisms.
- Differences in processing, specifically the lack of bottom-up input in imagery, are notable.
- Findings support emulation or predictive processing theories of cognition.
Keywords:
connectivitygenerative perceptionmental imageryneural representationstemporal dynamicsworking memoryMore Related Videos
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