Modulation of specific brain activity by the perceptual analysis of very subtle geometrical relationships of the Mangina-Test stimuli: A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) investigation in young healthy adults

Behavioral results of the present study indicate that performance was not different among stimulus categories. However, brain functional data show that analytical-specific perceptual processes for MATH, READ and MIXED stimuli rely on partially distinct brain circuits. Bilateral posterior parietal, premotor and prefrontal regions along with the anterior cingulate appeared to be more activated by MATH stimuli, while READ stimuli predominantly activated bilateral medial occipito-temporal, amygdala/parahippocampal and sensorimotor cortices, and the right inferior frontal cortex. Moreover, the posterior parahippocampal cortex showed a higher activity specifically for MIXED stimuli. Altogether, these findings demonstrate that in the Mangina-Test, the exact discrimination of very subtle perceptual relationships between geometrical stimuli distinctly modulates cerebral activity, so that category-specific brain responses can be related to identifiable cognitive abilities.