Duan Suna, Li Qingfeng, Yang Junjie, Yang Qing, Li Enran, Liu Yuting, Jiang Lijuan, Li Chunbo, Zhao Binglei
Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
School of Psychology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Front Hum Neurosci. 2025 Mar 14;19:1516058. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1516058. eCollection 2025.
Visual mental imagery (VMI) is a cognitive function that significantly impacts various aspects of daily life. However, the neural correlates of VMI vividness remain unclear, especially underlying different VMI types. Therefore, the current functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying static (SI) and dynamic VMI (DI), focusing on the role of precuneus especially in the imagery vividness.
The study involved 24 participants recruited from ShanghaiTech University. After excluding four participants due to excessive movements, data from 20 participants were analyzed. Each participant completed the Chinese version of the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ) to assess their imagery vividness abilities. During fMRI scanning, participants were asked to imagine SI and DI scenarios in response to auditory stimuli. High-resolution fMRI data were acquired using a 3T scanner, and a General Linear Model (GLM) was applied to analyze blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals, focusing on the precuneus's role in imagery vividness.
The results revealed that the left precuneus was found activated in both SI and DI tasks. Moreover, the left precuneus activation was positively correlated with VVIQ score. On the other hand, greater activation in the right precuneus was found during dynamic than static imagery as well as more extensive neural engagements; the right precuneus activation was further detected significantly correlated with individual VVIQ scores.
The study's findings offered fresh insights into the cognitive and neural processes subserving VMI. By revealing the distinct roles of the left and right precuneus in imagery vividness, this research contributed to a more nuanced understanding of VMI and its neural basis.
视觉心理意象（VMI）是一种认知功能，对日常生活的各个方面都有显著影响。然而，VMI生动性的神经关联尚不清楚，尤其是在不同类型的VMI背后。因此，当前的功能磁共振成像（fMRI）研究旨在探究静态（SI）和动态VMI（DI）背后的神经机制，重点关注楔前叶在意象生动性中的作用。
该研究招募了24名来自上海科技大学的参与者。在排除4名因运动过多的参与者后，对20名参与者的数据进行了分析。每位参与者完成了中文版的视觉意象生动性问卷（VVIQ），以评估他们的意象生动性能力。在fMRI扫描过程中，要求参与者根据听觉刺激想象SI和DI场景。使用3T扫描仪获取高分辨率fMRI数据，并应用一般线性模型（GLM）分析血氧水平依赖（BOLD）信号，重点关注楔前叶在意象生动性中的作用。
结果显示，在SI和DI任务中均发现左侧楔前叶被激活。此外，左侧楔前叶的激活与VVIQ得分呈正相关。另一方面，在动态意象过程中发现右侧楔前叶的激活比静态意象时更强，且神经参与范围更广；进一步检测到右侧楔前叶的激活与个体VVIQ得分显著相关。
该研究结果为支持VMI的认知和神经过程提供了新的见解。通过揭示左右楔前叶在意象生动性中的不同作用，这项研究有助于更细致地理解VMI及其神经基础。
