Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Translational Brain Mapping at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Preserving the Mind Through Personalized Brain Mapping
Published on: August 12, 2019
A shared code for perceiving and imagining objects in human ventral temporal cortex
Abstract:
Mental imagery is a remarkable phenomenon that allows us to remember previous experiences and imagine new ones. Animal studies have yielded rich insight into mechanisms for visual perception, but the neural mechanisms for visual imagery remain poorly understood. Here, we first determined that ∼80% of visually responsive single neurons in human ventral temporal cortex (VTC) use a distributed axis code to represent objects. We then used that code to reconstruct objects and generate maximally effective synthetic stimuli. Finally, we recorded responses from the same neural population while subjects imagined specific objects and found that ∼40% of axis-tuned VTC neurons recapitulated the visual code. Our findings reveal that visual imagery is supported by reactivation of the same neurons involved in perception, providing single neuron evidence for the existence of a generative model in human VTC.
One Sentence Summary:
Single neurons in human temporal cortex use feature axes to encode objects, and imagery reactivates this code.
Related Concept Videos
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Vision
Perception
Bottom-up processing begins at the sensory level, where receptors detect external environmental stimuli. These could include the tactile sensation of...
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

