Imagery Test Research Articles

Mental imagery in education: What impact on the relationships with visuospatial processing and school performance in junior high school students?

This study examined the relationship between mental imagery, visuospatial processing, and academic performance among junior high school students. The influence of these variables on learning outcomes in Italian, mathematics, art, and music was also investigated. Third-year students were tested using the Mental Imagery Test and Raven's Progressive Matrices. Gender differences were explored, revealing no significant differences in mental imagery and visuospatial processing. Higher mental imagery correlated with better academic performance, particularly in Italian and mathematics. Visuospatial processing mediated the relationship between mental imagery and academic performance in Italian and mathematics, suggesting its significant role in these subjects. However, this mediation was not significant for music and art, suggesting the involvement of alternative cognitive mechanisms. These findings highlight the importance of mental imagery and visuospatial processing in academic success, particularly in abstract subjects, and advocate for educational strategies targeting these cognitive domains to enhance not only student performance but also creativity and thinking skills.

Structural and functional features characterizing the brains of individuals with higher controllability of motor imagery

Motor imagery is a higher-order cognitive brain function that mentally simulates movements without performing the actual physical one. Although motor imagery has attracted the interest of many researchers, and mental practice utilizing motor imagery has been widely used in sports training and post-stroke rehabilitation, neural bases that determine individual differences in motor imagery ability are not well understood. In this study, using controllability of motor imagery (CMI) test that can objectively evaluate individual ability to manipulate one’s imaginary postures, we examined structural and functional features characterizing the brains of individuals with higher controllability of motor imagery, by analyzing T1-weighted structural MRI data obtained from 89 participants and functional MRI data obtained from 28 of 89 participants. The higher CMI test scorers had larger volume in the bilateral superior frontoparietal white matter regions. The CMI test activated the bilateral dorsal premotor cortex (PMD) and superior parietal lobule (SPL); specifically, the left PMD and/or the right SPL enhanced functional coupling with the visual body, somatosensory, and motor/kinesthetic areas in the higher scorers. Hence, controllability of motor imagery is higher for those who well-develop superior frontoparietal network, and for those whose this network accesses these sensory areas to predict the expected multisensory experiences during motor imagery. This study elucidated for the first time the structural and functional features characterizing the brains of individuals with higher controllability of motor imagery, and advanced understanding of individual differences in motor imagery ability.

Associations between Autistic-like Traits and Imagery Ability.

This article examines empirical associations between qualities of the imagination, mental imagery, and cognitive abilities with special reference to autism. This study is the first to explore the empirical relationships between autistic-like traits and tests of imagery differences. Imaginative impairments and distinctive sensory characteristics in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should be reflected in their interactions with mental imagery. However, the relationship between ASD and imaging traits remains unclear. Based on the hypothesis that the degree of autistic-like traits is reflected in imagery traits, this study examined how the individual Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) relates to imagery ability in 250 college students. Two vividness tests and one imagery-type test were used to assess imagery ability. Scores in each imagery test were compared between the high-scoring group classified by the AQ and the rest of the participants and between the low-scoring group classified by the AQ and the other participants. This study also directly compared imagery test scores between the high- and low-scoring groups. In terms of the total AQ score, the high-scoring group exhibited lower visualization scores. Regarding AQ subscales, "imagination" had the most extensive relationship with imagery traits, with the high-scoring group (unimaginative) showing lower imagery vividness across various modalities as well as lower visualization and verbalization scores. This was followed by the "attention to detail" subscale, on which the high-scoring group (attentive to detail) showed higher vividness of visual imagery. The results of the low-scoring group exhibited, on the whole, opposite imagery tendencies to the high-scoring group. The results indicate that autistic-like traits are associated with qualities of the imagination and especially mental imagery ability.

What mental images remain after 23 years of blindness?

In this study, we ask whether a subject rates some sensory images change with time. We tested an adult female, aged 43 years, who became blind at 20 years of age. Her imagery had been previously measured on two occasions, at age 23, after 3 years of blindness, and at age 34, after 14 years of blindness. Several tests were now conducted to measure her imagery vividness, imagery control, and mental images linked to several other senses. She was found to score lower than the confidence interval obtained in the reference groups of sighted subjects on mental images that are linked to a sense involving vision, such as visual images. Conversely, the participant scored much higher than the confidence interval obtained in a reference group on mental images, such as auditory, cutaneous, gustatory, olfactory, and organic imagery. Scores on imagery tests may lower with blindness duration, and ratings of images related to other senses may increase.

Low-level language processing in brain-injured patients.

Assessing cognitive function-especially language processing-in severely brain-injured patients is critical for prognostication, care, and development of communication devices (e.g. brain-computer interfaces). In patients with diminished motor function, language processing has been probed using EEG measures of command-following in motor imagery tasks. While such tests eliminate the need for motor response, they require sustained attention. However, passive listening tasks, with an EEG response measure can reduce both motor and attentional demands. These considerations motivated the development of two assays of low-level language processing-identification of differential phoneme-class responses and tracking of the natural speech envelope. This cross-sectional study looks at a cohort of 26 severely brain-injured patient subjects and 10 healthy controls. Patients' level of function was assessed via the coma recovery scale-revised at the bedside. Patients were also tested for command-following via EEG and/or MRI assays of motor imagery. For the present investigation, EEG was recorded while presenting a 148 s audio clip of Alice in Wonderland. Time-locked EEG responses to phoneme classes were extracted and compared to determine a differential phoneme-class response. Tracking of the natural speech envelope was assessed from the same recordings by cross-correlating the EEG response with the speech envelope. In healthy controls, the dynamics of the two measures were temporally similar but spatially different: a central parieto-occipital component of differential phoneme-class response was absent in the natural speech envelope response. The differential phoneme-class response was present in all patient subjects, including the six classified as vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome by behavioural assessment. However, patient subjects with evidence of language processing either by behavioural assessment or motor imagery tests had an early bilateral response in the first 50 ms that was lacking in patient subjects without any evidence of language processing. The natural speech envelope tracking response was also present in all patient subjects and responses in the first 100 ms distinguished patient subjects with evidence of language processing. Specifically, patient subjects with evidence of language processing had a more global response in the first 100 ms whereas those without evidence of language processing had a frontopolar response in that period. In summary, we developed two passive EEG-based methods to probe low-level language processing in severely brain-injured patients. In our cohort, both assays showed a difference between patient subjects with evidence of command-following and those with no evidence of command-following: a more prominent early bilateral response component.

Beyond body image: what body schema and motor imagery can tell us about the way patients with anorexia nervosa experience their body.

Recent evidence suggests that the body image disturbance often observed in patients with anorexia nervosa also extends to the body schema. According to the embodiment approach, the body schema is not only involved in motor execution, but also in tasks that only require a mental simulation of a movement such as motor imagery, mental rotation of bodies, and visuospatial perspective-taking. The aim of the present study was to assess the ability of patients with anorexia to mentally simulate movements. The sample included 52 patients with acute anorexia and 62 healthy controls. All participants completed three tests of explicit motor imagery, a mental rotation test and a test of visuospatial perspective-taking. Patients with anorexia nervosa, with respect to controls, reported greater difficulties in imagining movements according to a first-person perspective, lower accuracy in motor imagery, selective impairment in the mental rotation of human figures, and reduced ability in assuming a different egocentric visuospatial perspective. These results are indicative of a specific alteration in motor imagery in patients with anorexia nervosa. Interestingly, patients' difficulties appear to be limited to those tasks which specifically rely on the body schema, while patients and controls performed similarly in the 3D objects mental rotation task.

Retraction Note to: Modeling for temporal land subsidence forecasting using field surveying with complementary drone imagery testing in Yazd Plain, Iran.

Retraction Note to: Modeling for temporal land subsidence forecasting using field surveying with complementary drone imagery testing in Yazd Plain, Iran.

Mental imagery testing for personnel selection, training, and HCI applications

This theoretical paper advocates for research to assess whether tests of mental imagery may be used as reliable and valid predictors to inform the design of human-computer interactions suited to individual differences, and industrial-organizational psychology applications including personnel selection and customized training regimens. Mental imagery includes multisensory, non-sensory spatial, and motor rehearsal forms, and has been correlated with emotional reactivity and performance on laboratory tasks such as memory recognition and recall. We focus on air traffic control and aircraft pilot roles, as cognitive testing has been pioneered in these high-consequence professions, with resulting cultural and institutional support for the use of testing to guide personnel development decisions. Mental imagery testing may also offer benefits in the lifelong career pipeline for STEM, creative, and problem-solving work roles more broadly.

Using tactile imagery to teach geometry to students with visual impairments in the United Arab Emirates

Learning geometry is difficult for students with visual impairments (VIs). However, tactile imagery, the process of constructing mental images of physical objects with certain shapes, may help them make sense of geometrical shapes. Thus, discussions have centred on interventions to promote the participation of students with VIs in the learning of shapes. This study explored tactile imagery connecting physical touch to memory as an approach to teaching shapes to students with VIs. Eleven students, five with VIs and six sighted students took part in this experimental design study. A tactile imagery test and intervention lessons were developed for this study. Four tactile imagery domains (tactile discrimination, tactile memory 2D, tactile memory 3D and pattern recall), each made up of 10 tests, guided the design of the tests and training lessons. The students’ scores from the pre-test and post-test were subjected to mean computations, Mann-Whitney U tests and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The post-test results revealed that students with VIs performed better than their sighted peers. The study concludes with a discussion of the need for teacher educators to consider using tactile imagery as a way of teaching geometry to students with VIs.

Cortical activity involved in perception and imagery of visual stimuli in a subject with aphantasia. An EEG case report

ABSTRACT Aphantasia has been described as the inability to voluntarily evoke mental images using the “mind’s eye.” We studied a congenital aphantasic subject using neuropsychological testsand 64 channel EEG recordings, in order to studycortical activity involved in perception and imagery evaluating event-related potentials(N170, P200, N250). The subject is in the normal range of the neuropsychological tests performed, except for specific imagery tests. The EEGresults show that when he evokes the same mental image, he starts the evokingprocess from left temporal instead of frontal areas, he does not activateoccipital visual nor left anterior parietal areas.

The connectional anatomy of visual mental imagery: evidence from a patient with left occipito-temporal damage.

Most of us can use our "mind's eye" to mentally visualize things that are not in our direct line of sight, an ability known as visual mental imagery. Extensive left temporal damage can impair patients' visual mental imagery experience, but the critical locus of lesion is unknown. Our recent meta-analysis of 27 fMRI studies of visual mental imagery highlighted a well-delimited region in the left lateral midfusiform gyrus, which was consistently activated during visual mental imagery, and which we called the Fusiform Imagery Node (FIN). Here, we describe the connectional anatomy of FIN in neurotypical participants and in RDS, a right-handed patient with an extensive occipito-temporal stroke in the left hemisphere. The stroke provoked right homonymous hemianopia, alexia without agraphia, and color anomia. Despite these deficits, RDS had normal subjective experience of visual mental imagery and reasonably preserved behavioral performance on tests of visual mental imagery of object shape, object color, letters, faces, and spatial relationships. We found that the FIN was spared by the lesion. We then assessed the connectional anatomy of the FIN in the MNI space and in the patient's native space, by visualizing the fibers of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and of the arcuate fasciculus (AF) passing through the FIN. In both spaces, the ILF connected the FIN with the anterior temporal lobe, and the AF linked it with frontal regions. Our evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that the FIN is a node of a brain network dedicated to voluntary visual mental imagery. The FIN could act as a bridge between visual information and semantic knowledge processed in the anterior temporal lobe and in the language circuits.

Data augmentation for Convolutional LSTM based brain computer interface system

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a noninvasive method to detect spatio-temporal electric signals in human brain, actively used in the recent development of Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI). EEG’s patterns are affected by the task, but also other variable factors influence the subject focus on the task and result in noisy EEG signals difficult to decipher. To surpass these limitations methods based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used, they are inherently robust to noise and do not require models. However, they learn from examples and require lots of training data-sets. This will increase costs, need research time and subjects effort. To reduce the number of experiments necessary for network training, we devised a methodology to provide artificial data from a limited number of training data-sets. This was done by applying Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) on the EEG frames and intermixing their Intrinsic Mode Function (IMFs). We experimented on motor imagery (MI) tests where participants were asked to imagine movement of the left (or right) arm while under EEG recording. The EEG data were firstly transformed using the Morlet wavelet and then fed to an originally designed Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with long short term memory blocks (LSTM-RNN). The introduction of artificial frames improved performances when compared with standard algorithms. The artificial frames become advantageous even when the number of available real frames was only of 7 or 8. In a test with two subjects (200 recordings for each subject), we reached an accuracy better than 88% for both subjects. Improvements due to the artificial data were especially noticeable for the under-performing subject, whose EEG had lower accuracy. Imagination recognition accuracy was about 89% with 360 training frames, in which 300 were artificially created starting from 60 real ones. We believe this methodology of synthesizing artificial data may contribute to the development of novel and more efficient ways to train neural networks for brain computer interfaces.

GIANT LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE ANEURYSM AND RIGHT VENTRICULAR DIVERTICULUM : A VERY RARE ASSOCIATION

Left atrial appendage aneurysm (LAAA) is a rare cardiac anomaly, the association with right ventricular diverticulum (RVD) is extremely rare. LAAA is characterized by aneurysmal dilatation of left atrial may be congenital or acquired RVD is an outpouching from the right cardiac chamber. Often fortuitous discovery between fetal period and adult age, these two entities are usually asymptomatic but can be complicated by arrythmia and thrombo- embolism. We report the case of a 22- years old which we have diagnosed LAAA associated with a RVD. The revelation mode was a pericardial effusion and the mechanism of pericardial effusion would be a pericardial dysgenesis or an inflammatory reaction.The diagnosis of these two anomalies is essentielly posed by imagery test especially cardiac echography, cardiac RMI and scan. Treatment consists of resection of LAAA and RVD with pericardiocentesis.

Neural oscillations during motor imagery of complex gait: an HdEEG study

The aim of this study was to investigate differences between usual and complex gait motor imagery (MI) task in healthy subjects using high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) with a MI protocol. We characterized the spatial distribution of α- and β-bands oscillations extracted from hdEEG signals recorded during MI of usual walking (UW) and walking by avoiding an obstacle (Dual-Task, DT). We applied a source localization algorithm to brain regions selected from a large cortical-subcortical network, and then we analyzed α and β bands Event-Related Desynchronizations (ERDs). Nineteen healthy subjects visually imagined walking on a path with (DT) and without (UW) obstacles. Results showed in both gait MI tasks, α- and β-band ERDs in a large cortical-subcortical network encompassing mostly frontal and parietal regions. In most of the regions, we found α- and β-band ERDs in the DT compared with the UW condition. Finally, in the β band, significant correlations emerged between ERDs and scores in imagery ability tests. Overall we detected MI gait-related α- and β-band oscillations in cortical and subcortical areas and significant differences between UW and DT MI conditions. A better understanding of gait neural correlates may lead to a better knowledge of pathophysiology of gait disturbances in neurological diseases.

Reading intervention targeting phonemic awareness and symbol imagery in children with sickle cell disease.

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) frequently have diminished academic attainment and are particularly vulnerable to reading dysfunction. We explored the effectiveness of a multisensory reading intervention offered during the summer to children with SCD at our institution. Subjects with reading deficits were identified through parent report, clinical findings, or school meetings. Summer reading programs utilizing Phonemic Awareness and Symbol Imagery were provided. The Lindamood-Bell Auditory Conceptualization/Phonemic Awareness Test, Third Edition (LAC-3), and the Symbol Imagery Test were used as pre- and postintervention examinations to measure progress. Fifteen students (median age 9.4years, range 6-14years, eight females, all African American) received the Phonemic Awareness intervention, two times a week for 6weeks. The subjects showed statistically significant gains in standard scores derived from the LAC-3 (mean change 7.9 points, p<.001), with associated improvements in age equivalency (AE) and grade equivalency (GE). Twenty-nine students (median age 9years, range 6-17years, 13 females, all African American) participated in the Symbol Imagery reading program, also two times a week for 6weeks. These students showed significant gains in overall standard scores (mean change 9.8 points, p<.001). Although results should be interpreted with caution due to small sample sizes, we found that summer reading clinics for children with SCD improved phonological processing and symbol imagery skills, potentially leading to substantial gains in reading capability.

Modeling for temporal land subsidence forecasting using field surveying with complementary drone imagery testing in Yazd Plain, Iran.

From the last few decades to now, land subsidence is a major phenomenon for the most plains in Iran. The study area is located on the clayey plain, in the east of Yazd with the cracks as longitudinal and polygonal. This experiment has planned to find microrelieves dynamics in time series after rainfall and drying periods. For modeling of land vertical dynamics and crack process selected a sample area with 100 pines for surveying. The topography measurements showed land altitudes variations in nanorelieves scale (a few millimeters to some centimeters) with a sinuous rhythm. On the base of field surveying, drone imagery was used for testing the temporal forecasting model. For this purpose, with stereo images has controlled and confirmed accuracy of prediction time series model of land vertical dynamic after five years from first inventory.

Mental Imagery Skills in Alcohol-Dependent Subjects and Their Associations With Cognitive Performance: An Exploratory Study During Residential Rehabilitation.

People in alcohol-detoxification experience deficits in motor and non-motor functions including cognitive performance. Imagery, the cognitive process of generating visual, auditory or kinesthetic experiences in the mind without the presence of external stimuli, has been little studied in Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD). This pilot study aims to observe the cognitive abilities useful for the inspection, maintenance, generation and manipulation of images in these patients during residential rehabilitation and investigate the relationships with their cognitive performance. Thirty-six subjects who completed the 28-day rehabilitation program for alcohol addiction, completed the Mental Imagery Test (MIT) and Neuropsychological Battery (ENB-2). The global score at MIT did not show pathological scores. The 11.1% of AUD patients showed an impaired global score in the cognitive performance and the 5.7% with scoring at limits of norm. Significant correlations were found between Mental Imagery abilities and ENB-2 subscale and stepwise regression analysis showed the close association between the ability of imagery (Mental Imagery Test) and the overall cognitive performance (ENB-2) in alcohol dependent patients and this relationship is stronger than other cognitive tasks.

Imaging and leaks in peritoneal dialysis

Dialysate leaks are non-rare mechanical but dreaded complications in peritoneal dialysis (PD). They usually occur at the beginning of PD, with various clinical events depending on their location. Use of imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) peritoneography, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) peritoneography, or scintigraphic peritoneography, can confirm the diagnosis and guide surgical intervention if needed. These simple, non-invasive, and accessible tests can be done in collaboration between the radiological et peritoneal teams. Depending on the leakage site, PD can be pursued with small volumes with a cycler. In other cases, it must be interrupted and the patient transferred to hemodialysis, in order to permit the peritoneal cavity to regain its integrity by cicatrization or with surgical intervention. Imaging can help to make sure peritoneal cavity has regained its integrity after this period of transition. Early leaks can be avoided by delaying PD start with by 14 days. Intraperitoneal pressure does not seem to contribute significantly. Prevention of PD leaks essentially depends on individual risk factors such as obesity or anterior abdominal surgeries. This article reviews the characteristics of dialysate leaks in PD and the imagery tests to limit transfer to hemodialysis.

The House Imagery Test: A New Measure of Mental Status

Imagery Communication Psychotherapy (ICP), a Chinese native psychotherapy, uses imagery as a medium to communicate in depth with clients. As the most essential and widely used imagery in ICP, house imagery had been found efficient to reveal global mental status. On this basis, the House Imagery Test (HIT), a new projective test, was developed. This article reports the development and validation of the HIT on a survey of 478 undergraduate students. Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), and Trait Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ) were used as criterion in the current study. The results showed that the HIT had good test-retest reliability (<i>r</i> = .69) and internal consistency (<i>r</i> = .79). Exploratory factor analysis of the HIT exhibited a 4-factor structure, which was verified by further confirmatory factor analysis. The HIT also correlated significantly with SCL-90, SDS, SAS, PANAS and TCSQ. Overall, the HIT had acceptable reliability and validity. It was proved to be a novel and solid projective test for measurement of mental status. These findings provide a new tool to aid the clinic practice and suggest a new technical route for the development of projective tests.

Effect of positive and negative dimensions of mental imagery and self-talk on learning of soccer kicking skill

Background and Study Aim. Mental imagery and self-talk are two important mental skills that are used for improvement of performance and learning of motor and sport skills. This study aimed to investigate the effect of positive/negative mental imagery and positive/negative self-talk on learning of soccer kicking skill.&#x0D; Material and Methods. Participants included 48 young soccer player students. Participants were soccer player students with mean age 18.44 and SD=.88 years. After selecting the sample and filling out the personal detail form, the imagery and self-talk instructions, the method of completing mental imagery questionnaire, Moore-Christine kick-skill test instructions, and principles of free kick at soccer were explained to participants. Then, the mental imagery test and kick-skill test were run in 4 blocks of 4 attempts and the results were recorded. Based on their pre-test scores, the participants were divided into 4 groups. The acquisition sessions were held for 3 weeks and 2 sessions per week, with 8 blocks of 4 trials (32 trials) per session. The data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA, mixed ANOVA, and two-way ANOVA tests at different learning stages (significance level= 0.05).&#x0D; Results. The results of data analysis showed that positive imagery and positive self-talk groups performed significantly better than negative imagery and negative self-talk groups. Also, due to the significance of interactive effect of imagery × training sessions, it was found that the positive imagery groups performed significantly better than negative imagery groups from the third session onwards.&#x0D; Conclusion. According to the results, it was recommended that trainers use this aspect of self-talk at early stages of training. Also, the positive imagery can be emphasized by increasing the training sessions in more skilled individual.