Topographical representations of mental images in primary visual cortex (original) (raw)

Nature volume 378, pages 496–498 (1995)Cite this article

Abstract

WE report here the use of positron emission tomography (PET) to reveal that the primary visual cortex is activated when subjects close their eyes and visualize objects. The size of the image is systematically related to the location of maximal activity, which is as expected because the earliest visual areas are spatially organized1–5. These results were only evident, however, when imagery conditions were compared to a non-imagery baseline in which the same auditory cues were presented (and hence the stimuli were controlled); when a resting baseline was used (and hence brain activation was uncontrolled), imagery activation was obscured because of activation in visual cortex during the baseline condition. These findings resolve a debate in the literature about whether imagery activates early visual cortex6–11 and indicate that visual mental imagery involves 'depictive' representations, not solely language-like descriptions12–14. Moreover, the fact that stored visual information can affect processing in even the earliest visual areas suggests that knowledge can fundamentally bias what one sees.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Daniel, P. M. & Whittridge, D. J. Physiol. 159, 203–221 (1961).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  2. Fox, P. T. et al. Nature 323, 806–809 (1986).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  3. Tootell, R. B. H., Silverman, M. S., Switkes, E. & De Valois, R. L. Science 218, 902–904 (1982).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  4. Felleman, D. J. & Van Essen, D. C. Cereb. Cortex 1, 1–47 (1991).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  5. Fox, P. T. et al. Nature 323, 806–809 (1986).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  6. Damasio, H. et al. Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. 19, 1603 (1993).
    Google Scholar
  7. Kosslyn, S. M. et al. J. cogn. Neurosci. 5, 263–287 (1993).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  8. Menon, R. et al. in Functional MRI of the Brain: A Workshop Presented by the Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and the Society for Magnetic Resonance Imaging 2nd edn (eds Le Bihan, D., Turner, R., Mosley, M. & Hyde, J.) (Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Inc, Arlington, VA, 1993).
    Google Scholar
  9. Charlot, V., Tzourio, M., Zilbovicius, M., Mazoyer, B. & Denis, M. Neuropsychologia 30, 565–580 (1992).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  10. Roland, P. E. & Gulyas, B. Cereb. Cortex 5, 79–93 (1995).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  11. Le Bihan, D. et al. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 5, 11802–11805 (1993).
    Article ADS Google Scholar
  12. Pylyshyn, Z. W. Psychol. Bull. 80, 1–24 (1973).
    Article Google Scholar
  13. Kosslyn, S. M. & Pomerantz, J. R. Cogn. Psychol. 9, 52–76 (1977).
    Article Google Scholar
  14. Kosslyn, S. M. Image and Brain: The Resolution of the Imagery Debate (MIT Press, Cam-bridge, MA, 1994).
    Google Scholar
  15. Roland, P. E. & Friberg, L. J. Neurophys. 53, 1219–1243 (1985).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  16. Talairach, J. & Tournoux, P. Co-planar Stereotaxic Atlas of the Human Brain (trans. M. Rayport) (Thieme, New York, 1988).
    Google Scholar
  17. Roland, P. E. Brain Activation (Wiley-Liss, New York, 1993).
    Google Scholar
  18. Douglas, K. L. & Rockland, K. S. (1992) Soc Neurosci. Abstr. 18, 390 (1992).
    Google Scholar
  19. Snodgrass, J. G. & Vanderwart, M. A. J. exp. Psychol. hum. Learn. Mem. 6, 174–215 (1980).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  20. Friston, K. J., Frith, C. D., Liddle, P. F. & Frackowiak, R. S. J. J. Cereb. Blood Flow Metab. 11, 690–699 (1991).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  21. Kops, E. R., Herzog, H. H., Schmid, A., Holte, S. & Feinendegen, L. E. J. Comput. Assist. Tomogr. 14, 437–445 (1990).
    Article Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
    Stephen M. Kosslyn, William L. Thompson & Irene J. Klm
  2. Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, USA
    Stephen M. Kosslyn
  3. Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, USA
    Nathaniel M. Alpert

Authors

  1. Stephen M. Kosslyn
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  2. William L. Thompson
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  3. Irene J. Klm
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar
  4. Nathaniel M. Alpert
    You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kosslyn, S., Thompson, W., Klm, I. et al. Topographical representations of mental images in primary visual cortex.Nature 378, 496–498 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1038/378496a0

Download citation