We use mental imagery in many activities in everyday life, such as when we are going from A to B, we use our mental images to imagine our route. We can also imagine how our work will end and thus plan according to that image. The ability to have mental images and to report on these is also what makes us uniquely human. Researchers have begun to investigate these so-called “higher-order” cognitive functions like mental imagery. One research question is currently how mental image relates to similar cognitive functions like remembering a person’s face or our sense of direction. Another research question considers the biological underpinnings of the brain – the hardware underlying these cognitive functions. Our project aims to enrich our understanding of the human capacity for mental imagery.
The project aims to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of certain individuals’ inability to create mental imagery and of the opposite, those who fail to distinguish imagery from perception. These traits may relate to clinical disorders such as schizophrenia, which are devastating for the families of those affected and create an incredible burden on national economies. The understanding provided through our research will help point to further clinical research projects.