Geometry three ways: an fMRI investigation of geometric information processing during reorientation

Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
Jennifer E SuttonNora S Newcombe

Abstract

The geometry formed by the walls of a room is known to be a potent cue in reorientation, yet little is known about the use of geometric information gleaned from other contexts. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine neural activity in adults while reorienting in 3 different environments: the typical rectangular walled room, a rectangular configuration of pillars in an open field, and a rectangular floor in an open field. Behavioral response patterns for the 3 environments were similar, but pairwise contrasts of brain activation revealed differences at the neural level. We observed greater medial temporal lobe (MTL) involvement when reorienting with the pillars versus the walls and floor. In addition, the walled room selectively engaged areas of posterior parahippocampal cortex corresponding to the parahippocampal place area, when compared with the floor. Finally, a conjunction analysis of the 3 geometry conditions, compared with a control task, revealed activation in the primary auditory cortex that was common to all geometry conditions. These findings add to growing evidence that adults use verbal processes to encode environment geometry and that the reorientation tasks that young children find difficult are ...Continue Reading

Citations

Apr 21, 2016·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Evelina Fedorenko, Rosemary Varley
Aug 21, 2014·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience·Jennifer E Sutton, Nora S Newcombe
May 18, 2016·Neuropsychologia·Katrina Ferrara, Soojin Park
Jul 21, 2017·Aging & Mental Health·Alessandro O CaffòAndrea Bosco
Mar 17, 2020·Experimental Brain Research·Steven J HarrisonMaryLauren Malone
Oct 28, 2019·Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior·Katrina FerraraSoojin Park
Nov 6, 2012·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Bradley R SturzJonathan E Roberts

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