Neural substrates that maintain perceiving 3d information: an ale meta-analysis study

Abstract

3D perception is a crucial ability for human existence in the environment. Numerous studies have been focused on the neural mechanisms that are at the core of perceiving 3D information. However, there is no clear consensus on the reported results due to the wide variety of utilized tasks, stimuli, and visual cues. This fMRI meta-analysis study aims to a) define which specific brain areas are more active in processing of different depth cues during perceiving 3D information across the neuroimaging studies, b) explore a map of the functional brain activation associated with perceiving 3D within the brain areas that have received little attention, and c) identify selective areas that are more sensitive to types of stimuli and task paradigms. Data from 26 experiments was included in an Activation Likelihood Estimation analysis (ALE). The findings revealed six clusters of activation including the bilateral occipital, bilateral temporal, right parietal, and left frontal areas associated with the processing of visual depth cues. The analyses of task types showed higher activation in the right precuneus, and the left middle, and inferior occipital gyri for the active judgment paradigm and the left fusiform gyrus for passive viewing. The results showed that the left fusiform gyrus is sensitive to static image stimuli. This study for the first time provides a concordant map of activation for the perception process of 3D (rather than 2D) and suggests that perceiving 3D requires increased brain resources.