The neuropsychology of 3-D space

Psychol Bull. 1998 Sep;124(2):123-64. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.124.2.123.

Abstract

The neuropsychological literature on 3-D spatial interactions is integrated using a model of 4 major behavioral realms: (a) peripersonal (visuomotor operations in near-body space), (b) focal extrapersonal (visual search and object recognition), (c) action extrapersonal (orienting in topographically defined space), and (d) ambient extrapersonal (orienting in earth-fixed space). Each is associated with a distinct cortical network: dorsolateral peripersonal, predominantly ventrolateral focal-extrapersonal, predominantly ventromedial action-extrapersonal, and predominantly dorsomedial ambient-extrapersonal systems. Interactions in 3-D space are also regulated neurochemically with dopaminergic and cholinergic excitation associated with extrapersonal activation and noradrenergic and serotonergic excitation associated with peripersonal activation. This model can help explain the 3-D imbalances in prominant neuropsychological disorders.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Nerve Net / physiology*
  • Neuropsychology
  • Space Perception / physiology*
  • Spatial Behavior / physiology*