Peer-reviewed article

Sensitivity to length and angle information develops early in PPA, but late in OPA.

Rebecca J Rennert, Daniel D Dilks · 15 Aug 2026

Abstract

Behavioral evidence suggests that visually-guided navigation develops later than scene categorization, yet how this dissociation is reflected in cortical organization remains unknown. In adults, it has been hypothesized that these abilities are supported by the occipital place area (OPA) and the parahippocampal place area (PPA), respectively. Here we tested whether OPA develops later than PPA using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) adaptation in children aged 5-8 years. Specifically, we measured neural sensitivity to length and angle information - features represented in both regions in adulthood - allowing a direct comparison of the developmental emergence of these representations. PPA exhibited robust sensitivity already at age 5, consistent with the earlier development of scene categorization. In contrast, OPA showed no reliable sensitivity at age 5, with robust sensitivity developing only between ages 5 and 8, consistent with later development of visually-guided navigation. Together, these findings reveal a developmental dissociation within scene-selective cortex: sensitivity to shared scene features emerges earlier in PPA than OPA, mirroring the distinct developmental trajectories of scene categorization and visually-guided navigation.