Visual mental imagery engages the left fusiform gyrus, but not the early visual cortex: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging evidence
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Abstract
The dominant neural model of visual mental imagery (VMI) stipulates that memories from the medial temporal lobe acquire sensory features in early visual areas. However, neurological patients with damage restricted to the occipital cortex typically show perfectly vivid VMI, while more anterior damages extending into the temporal lobe, especially in the left hemisphere, often cause VMI impairments. Here we present two major results reconciling neuroimaging findings in neurotypical subjects with the performance of brain-damaged patients: (1) A large-scale meta-analysis of 46 fMRI studies, of which 27 investigated specifically visual mental imagery, revealed that VMI engages fronto-parietal networks and a well-delimited region in the left fusiform gyrus. (2) A Bayesian analysis showed no evidence for imagery-related activity in early visual cortices. We propose a revised neural model of VMI that draws inspiration from recent cytoarchitectonic and lesion studies, whereby fronto-parietal networks initiate, modulate, and maintain activity in a core temporal network centered on the fusiform imagery node, a high-level visual region in the left fusiform gyrus.
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The top-down component of voluntary imagery is reflected in the involvement of frontoparietal regions implicated in attention and cognitive control.
“The 'top-down' component of voluntary imagery is reflected in the involvement of frontoparietal regions implicated in attention and cognitive control”
From Aphantasia and hyperphantasia: exploring imagery vividness extremes (2024) · cites this paper as [10]
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References 137 · Cited by 33
Research works printed but not linked: 4
- Bartolomeo P (2014) The attention systems of the human brain. In: Attention Disorders After Right Brain Damage, pp 1-19: Springer London.
- Bartolomeo P, Bourgeois A, Bourlon C, Migliaccio R (2013) Visual and motor mental imagery after brain damage. In: Multisensory Imagery (Lacey S, Lawson R, eds), pp 249-269. New York: Springer.
- Bergmann TO, Hartwigsen G (2020) Inferring Causality from Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Cognitive Neuroscience. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience:1-29.
- Bisiach E, Luzzatti C, Perani D (1979) Unilateral neglect, representational schema and consciousness. Brain : a journal of neurology 102:609-618.
- Authors
- Spagna, A., Hajhajate, D., Liu, J., & Bartolomeo, P.
- Affiliations
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Bartolomeo, Paolo
- Venue
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-03
- Volume
- 122
- Pages
- 201-217
- ISSN
- 0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3101356042
- Cited by
- 33
- References
- 137
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5
- FWCI
- 0.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (acceptedVersion)
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-10-IAIHU06, 10-IAIHU-06, ANR-16, ANR-16-CE37-0005, ANR-10)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Hallucinations in medical conditions
- Keywords
- visual imagery, early visual cortex, frontoparietal network, brain-damaged patients, temporal lobe lesions
- MeSH terms
- Bayes Theorem, Brain Mapping, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Temporal Lobe, Visual Cortex, Neuroimaging
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