TOPOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF EEG ACTIVITY ACCOMPANYING VISUAL AND MOTOR IMAGERY IN VIVID AND NON-VIVID IMAGERS

Brain mapping techniques were used to investigate the topographical di stribution of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity accompanying visu al and motor imagery in four different tasks. Participants were select ed for their self-reported vivid or non-vivid imagery using the Vividn ess of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ) and the Vividness of Moveme nt Imagery Questionnaire (VMIQ). Topographical maps of EEG activation revealed that alpha power was attenuated in vivid images during visual imagery, particularly in the left posterior quadrant of the cortex, b ut enhanced during motor imagery. The imagery vividness variable inter acted with experimental condition or with experimental condition and l ocation in all four tasks. Because demand characteristics and instrume nt artifacts can be eliminated as possible explanations of the results , these data provide strong evidence of the construct validity of the VVIQ and VMIQ as measures of visual and motor imagery experience.