Memory systems
How does the brain build mental scenes step-by-step?
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
Creating a mental image of a scene step-by-step activates different parts of the brain at different times, rather than using one single, continuous process.
How this study connects
Role on claims
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Activation followed the emergence of a scene, not the amount of material held.
Engagement of the core scene network is graded and tracks when elements cohere. Imagining a first element activated object and core scene regions, adding a second temporarily deactivated the core areas, and adding a third reactivated them — the point at which participants reported a coherent scene.
Evidence for the claim as stated.
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How does the brain build mental scenes step-by-step?
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nineteen healthy participants
Nineteen healthy right-handed native English speakers took part in the study (8 females; mean age 25.7 years, SD 4.7).
1.5 tesla MRI
T2*-weighted echo planar images (EPI) with blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast were acquired on a 1.5 tesla Siemens AG (Erlangen, Germany) Sonata MRI scanner.
Key findings
They discovered that imagining the first element activated both the object-processing network and parts of the core scene network. Adding the second element temporarily deactivated these core areas, but adding a third element reactivated them, marking the point where participants achieved a coherent scene. Beyond 3 elements, adding more details did not further increase activation in the core network.
Methodology
The researchers scanned nineteen healthy participants using a 1.5 tesla MRI machine while they built mental scenes. Participants listened to auditory descriptions and imagined indoor scenes step-by-step by adding 3, 4, 5, or 6 sequential elements. They also performed matched control trials to control for memory load and attention, rating their imagination after each run.
Limitations
The study did not establish a causal relationship because functional imaging is correlational. Furthermore, the small sample of nineteen young, healthy individuals might not represent how older adults or individuals with clinical brain damage construct scenes.
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