Imagined transformations of bodies: an fMRI investigation
Open accessAbstract
A number of spatial reasoning problems can be solved by performing an imagined transformation of one's egocentric perspective. A series of experiments were carried out to characterize this process behaviorally and in terms of its brain basis, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (tMRI). In a task contrast designed to isolate egocentric perspective transformations, participants were slower to make left-right judgments about a human figure from the figure's perspective than from their own. This transformation led to increased cortical activity around the left parietal-temporal-occipital junction, as well as in other areas including left frontal cortex. In a second task contrast comparing judgments about inverted figures to judgments about upright figures (always from the figure's perspective), participants were slower to make left-right judgments about inverted figures than upright ones. This transformation led to activation in posterior areas near those active in the first experiment, but weaker in the left hemisphere and stronger in the right, and also to substantial left frontal activation. Together, the data support the specialization of areas near the parietal-temporal-occipital junction for egocentric perspective transformations. These results are also suggestive of a dissociation between egocentric perspective transformations and object-based spatial transformations such as mental rotation.
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Arzy et al. identified a region of RTPJ that responded more strongly to body transformations requiring participants to rotate into the perspective of a body facing them than to a simple mirror translation of their own perspective.
“For example, using evoked potential mapping, Arzy et al. identified a region of RTPJ that responded more strongly to body transformations that required participants to ''rotate into'' the perspective of a body facing them than to consider a simple mirror translation of their own perspective (also see Zacks et al. 1999).”
From Activity in Right Temporo-Parietal Junction is Not Selective for Theory-of-Mind (2008) · cites this paper as Zacks et al. 1999
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BackgroundMethodNeural circuits involved in imitation and perspective-taking
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- Authors
- Zacks, J., Rypma, B., Gabrieli, J. D. E., Tversky, B., & Glover, G. H.
- Affiliations
- Stanford University (US)
- Stanford Medicine (US)
- Venue
- Neuropsychologia
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1999-08
- Volume
- 37
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1029-1040
- ISSN
- 0028-3932 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2131558933
- Cited by
- 278
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 18.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Neuropsychologia (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Lucas Foundation
- National Institutes of Health (5r01ag012995-07)
- National Institute on Aging (AG 12995, AG055701)
- National Center for Research Resources (RR 09784, P41RR009784)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Automotive Engineering › Spatial Cognition and Navigation
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Spatial Neglect and Hemispheric Dysfunction
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Keywords
- egocentric perspective, spatial reasoning, hemispheric lateralization, mental rotation
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Analysis of Variance, Cerebral Cortex, Humans, Imagination, Kinesthesis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Motion Perception, Neuropsychological Tests, Orientation, Problem Solving, Reaction Time, Rotation, Space Perception
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