Brain information processing in eidetic imagery

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24500320
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: Iwate University
• Principal Investigator: MATSUOKA Kazuo 岩手大学, 人文社会科学部, 教授 (50209508)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YAMAGUCHI Hiroshi (20174625)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TAKAHASHI Kei (60128923) ; HUJIWARA Syunrou (60405842)
• Research Collaborator: KAWAHARA Mashahiro 岩手大学, 非常勤 ; KAWACHI Youshke 東北福祉大学, 感性福祉研究所, 講師 ; SON Yoruwan 東北福祉大学, 感性福祉研究所, 准教授
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 直観像 / 心的イメージ / 脳機能画像法 / fMRI / NIRS / 初期視覚野 / 腹側経路 / 物体性・空間性イメージ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the brain information processing underlying eidetic imagery using functional neuroimaging methods (NIRS and fMRI). In addition, an intensive interview and self-report measures of the image abilities of eidetic imagers were used. Our study yielded the following new findings. (1) Eidetic imagers have an extremely high object imagery ability controlled by the ventral pathway and relatively lower spatial imagery ability controlled by the dorsal pathway. (2) Strong eidetic imagers are mostly synesthetes. (3) Our functional neuroimaging data revealed that eidetic evocation is associated with strong activation of the prefrontal area and visual area in the occipital lobe in a fNIRS study. Contrary to our expectation, however, we found no evidence for involvement of the V1 in the evocation of eidetic images in a fMRI study. Based on these findings, a hypothetical brain model of eidetic imagery was introduced.

Free Research Field

認知心理学