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Visual Imagery in Haptic Shape Perception

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Multisensory Imagery

Abstract

Many studies now suggest that the brain is not organized around discrete parallel processing of modality-specific inputs, but rather has a multisensory task-based organization. For example, many areas previously thought to be specialized for various visual tasks, such as motion detection or face processing, have been shown to be active during analogous tactile or haptic tasks. Here, we focus on the involvement of visual cortex in haptic shape perception and review the extent to which this reflects visual imagery. We discuss a model of visuo-haptic object representation in which the lateral occipital complex houses object representations that are flexibly accessible via top-down pathways involving object imagery for familiar objects or bottom-up pathways for unfamiliar objects.

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Acknowledgments

The authors’ research was supported by the NEI, the NSF, and the Veterans Administration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, WMB-6000, 101 Woodruff Circle, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Simon Lacey & K. Sathian

  2. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    K. Sathian

  3. Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    K. Sathian

  4. Rehabilitation R&D Center of Excellence, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA

    K. Sathian

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  1. Simon Lacey
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Correspondence to Simon Lacey .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, WOODRUFF CIRCLE WMB 6207 101, ATLANTA, 30329, Georgia, USA

    Simon Lacey

  2. , School of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, Montserrat

    Rebecca Lawson

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Lacey, S., Sathian, K. (2013). Visual Imagery in Haptic Shape Perception. In: Lacey, S., Lawson, R. (eds) Multisensory Imagery. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5879-1_11

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