Research articleBrain activities of visual thinkers and verbal thinkers: A MEG study

- Two groups of subjects were tested for visual imagery and verbal recollection.
- Visual area was more strongly activated in strong visualizers.
- Frontal language area was more strongly activated in weak visualizers.
- Strong visualizers are considered to be visual thinkers.
- Weak visualizers are considered to be verbal thinkers.

In this study we measured activation patterns in the primary visual cortex and the frontal language areas and compared them in individuals with strong and weak capacities to mentally visualize information during spontaneous thinking. Subjects were first administered a 5-item questionnaire to assess their ability to create mental pictures, and were divided into two groups (strong and weak visualizers) on this basis. They then performed tasks requiring visual imagery and verbal recollection, and their local neural activities were measured, using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Notably in the high beta-band (25 Hz), the visual area (BA 17) was more strongly activated in strong visualizers, whereas, the frontal language areas were more strongly activated in weak visualizers. Strong visualizers are considered to be visual thinkers, and weak visualizers are verbal thinkers.