Version 1
: Received: 28 February 2024 / Approved: 29 February 2024 / Online: 29 February 2024 (09:58:29 CET)
How to cite:
Dijkstra, N. Uncovering the Role of the Early Visual Cortex in Visual Mental Imagery. Preprints2024, 2024021684. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1684.v1
Dijkstra, N. Uncovering the Role of the Early Visual Cortex in Visual Mental Imagery. Preprints 2024, 2024021684. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1684.v1
Dijkstra, N. Uncovering the Role of the Early Visual Cortex in Visual Mental Imagery. Preprints2024, 2024021684. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1684.v1
APA Style
Dijkstra, N. (2024). Uncovering the Role of the Early Visual Cortex in Visual Mental Imagery. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1684.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Dijkstra, N. 2024 "Uncovering the Role of the Early Visual Cortex in Visual Mental Imagery" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.1684.v1
Abstract
The question of whether the early visual cortex (EVC) is involved in visual mental imagery remains a topic of debate. In this paper, I propose that the inconsistency in findings can be explained by the unique challenges associated with investigating EVC activity during imagery. During perception, the EVC processes low-level features which means that activity is highly sensitive to variation in visual details. If the EVC has the same role during visual mental imagery, any change in the visual details of the mental image would lead to corresponding changes in EVC activity. Within this context, the question should not be whether EVC is ‘active’ during imagery but how its activity relates to specific imagery properties. Studies using methods that are sensitive to variation in low-level features reveal that imagery can recruit the EVC in similar ways as perception. However, not all mental images contain a high level of visual details. Therefore, I end by considering a more nuanced view which states that imagery can recruit the EVC, but that does not mean that it always does so.
Keywords
Mental imagery; Visual perception; Early visual cortex
Subject
Biology and Life Sciences, Neuroscience and Neurology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
