Abstract
In this chapter, we present theory and research on early- and later-developing visuospatial cognition into adulthood and its importance to mathematical cognitive development. We describe the development of dorsal and ventral visual pathways associated with the visuospatial functions of spatial awareness and pattern processing. Research using cognitive neuroscience techniques, including functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Electroencephalography (EEG), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), is presented on the following topics relevant to visuospatial cognition and its development: visual attention and search, visual perception and judgment, geometry, visual imagery and mental rotation, and visuospatial working memory. We conclude that the parietal lobe plays an important role in general visuospatial cognition and that the right hemisphere is dominant for certain visuospatial skills. Other brain areas related to visuospatial cognition include the superior frontal gyrus/sulcus, anterior insular cortex, temporal-occipital cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, precentral gyrus, and left hemisphere dorsal anterior cingulate cortex.
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Buening, J., Brown, R.D. (2018). Visuospatial Cognition. In: Neuroscience of Mathematical Cognitive Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76409-2_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76409-2_5
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