THE MINDS EYE - PRECUNEUS ACTIVATION IN MEMORY-RELATED IMAGERY

We examined brain activity associated with visual imagery at episodic memory retrieval using positron emission tomography (PET). Twelve meas urements of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were taken in six righ t-handed, healthy, male volunteers, During six measurements, they were engaged in the cued recall of imageable verbal paired associates. Dur ing the other six measurements, they recalled nonimageable paired asso ciates. Memory performance was equalized across all word lists, The su bjects' use of an increased degree of visual imagery during the recall of imageable paired associates was confirmed using subjective rating scales after each scan. Memory-related imagery was associated with sig nificant activation of a medial parietal area, the precuneus. This fin ding confirms a previously stated hypothesis about the precuneus and p rovides strong evidence that it is a key part of the neural substate o f visual imagery occurring in conscious memory recall. (C) 1995 Academ ic Press, Inc.