Li Yuan, Kong Feng, Ji Ming, Luo Yangmei, Lan Jijun, You Xuqun
School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Xi'an, China.
Front Neurosci. 2019 Jan 10;12:1021. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.01021. eCollection 2018.
Spatial ability is vital for human survival and development. However, the relationship between large-scale and small-scale spatial ability remains poorly understood. To address this issue from a novel perspective, we performed an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies to determine the shared and distinct neural bases of these two forms of spatial ability. We searched Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar for studies regarding "spatial ability" published within the last 20 years (January 1988 through June 2018). A final total of 103 studies () involving 2,085 participants (male = 1,116) and 2,586 foci were incorporated into the meta-analysis. Large-scale spatial ability was associated with activation in the limbic lobe, posterior lobe, occipital lobe, parietal lobe, right anterior lobe, frontal lobe, and right sub-lobar area. Small-scale spatial ability was associated with activation in the parietal lobe, occipital lobe, frontal lobe, right posterior lobe, and left sub-lobar area. Furthermore, conjunction analysis revealed overlapping regions in the sub-gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, right superior parietal lobule, right middle occipital gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus, left inferior occipital gyrus, and precuneus. The contrast analysis demonstrated that the parahippocampal gyrus, left lingual gyrus, culmen, right middle temporal gyrus, left declive, left superior occipital gyrus, and right lentiform nucleus were more strongly activated during large-scale spatial tasks. In contrast, the precuneus, right inferior frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, left supramarginal gyrus, left superior parietal lobule, right inferior occipital gyrus, and left middle frontal gyrus were more strongly activated during small-scale spatial tasks. Our results further indicated that there is no absolute difference in the cognitive strategies associated with the two forms of spatial ability (egocentric/allocentric). The results of the present study verify and expand upon the theoretical model of spatial ability proposed by Hegarty et al. Our analysis revealed a shared neural basis between large- and small-scale spatial abilities, as well as specific yet independent neural bases underlying each. Based on these findings, we proposed a more comprehensive version of the behavioral model.
空间能力对人类的生存与发展至关重要。然而，大尺度和小尺度空间能力之间的关系仍鲜为人知。为从全新视角解决这一问题，我们对神经影像学研究进行了激活可能性估计（ALE）元分析，以确定这两种空间能力形式的共同和独特神经基础。我们在科学网、PubMed、PsycINFO和谷歌学术上搜索了过去20年（1988年1月至2018年6月）发表的关于“空间能力”的研究。最终共有103项研究（）纳入元分析，涉及2085名参与者（男性 = 1116名）和2586个脑区激活点。大尺度空间能力与边缘叶（limbic lobe）、后叶（posterior lobe）、枕叶（occipital lobe）、顶叶（parietal lobe）、右前叶（right anterior lobe）、额叶（frontal lobe）及右叶下区（right sub-lobar area）的激活相关。小尺度空间能力与顶叶、枕叶、额叶、右后叶（right posterior lobe）及左叶下区（left sub-lobar area）的激活相关。此外，联合分析揭示了在中央回（sub-gyrus）、右上额回（right superior frontal gyrus）、右上顶叶小叶（right superior parietal lobule）、右中枕回（right middle occipital gyrus）、右上枕回（right superior occipital gyrus）、左枕下回（left inferior occipital gyrus）及楔前叶（precuneus）中的重叠区域。对比分析表明，在大尺度空间任务中，海马旁回（parahippocampal gyrus）、左舌回（left lingual gyrus）、山顶（culmen）、右颞中回（right middle temporal gyrus）、左斜坡（left declive）、左上枕回（left superior occipital gyrus）及右豆状核（right lentiform nucleus）的激活更强。相反，在小尺度空间任务中，楔前叶、右下额回（right inferior frontal gyrus）、右中央前回（right precentral gyrus）、左下顶叶小叶（left inferior parietal lobule）、左上缘回（left supramarginal gyrus）、左上顶叶小叶、右下枕回（right inferior occipital gyrus）及左额中回（left middle frontal gyrus）的激活更强。我们的结果进一步表明，与这两种空间能力形式（自我中心/他者中心）相关的认知策略并无绝对差异。本研究结果验证并扩展了Hegarty等人提出的空间能力理论模型。我们的分析揭示了大尺度和小尺度空间能力之间的共同神经基础，以及各自独特且独立的神经基础。基于这些发现，我们提出了一个更全面的行为模型版本。
