Investigation on the effects of individual differences in imagery generation ability on mental image transformation and its neural basis

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K12014
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90030:Cognitive science-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Sasaoka Takafumi 広島大学, 脳・こころ・感性科学研究センター, 准教授 (60367456)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 心的イメージ / 個人差 / 安静時脳活動 / 脳構造

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the mechanism of individual differences in mental image transformation by examining the relationship between behavioral indices, brain structure, and resting-state brain functional connectivity related to individual differences in imagery generation ability such as the tendency to generate object and spatial imagery and the vividness of visual imagery. The analysis of brain structure suggested that individual differences in the tendency to use object images and spatial images can be explained by the gray matter volume of the regions of the brain involved in spatial transformation and object representation, respectively. Furthermore, individual differences in the tendency to generate object and spatial imagery and in the vividness of visual imagery were characterized by the functional connectivity between the default mode network and other related regions.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

色や形のイメージを生成する傾向，空間的なイメージを生成する傾向，また視覚イメージの鮮明さの個人差に関して，それぞれに関連した行動指標，脳構造，安静時脳機能結合が明らかになった．これにより，これまで不明であった心的イメージの個人差に関わる脳内メカニズムの一端が明らかになった．この成果を利用することで，イメージ生成能力の個人差に基づいて個人に最適化されたリハビリテーションやメンタルトレーニングの提案に繋がると考えられる．