Abstract

We investigated high-resolution mental imagery and mental rotation, while the participants received caloric vestibular stimulation. High-resolution visual mental imagery tasks have been shown to activate early visual cortex, which is deactivated by vestibular input. Thus, we predicted that vestibular stimulation would disrupt high-resolution mental imagery; this prediction was confirmed. In addition, mental rotation tasks have been shown to activate posterior parietal cortex, which is also engaged in the processing of vestibular stimulation. As predicted, we also found that mental rotation is impaired during vestibular stimulation. In contrast, such stimulation did not affect performance of a low-imagery control task. These data document previously unsuspected interactions between the vestibular system and the high-level visual system.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.