Spatial abilities (visuospatial abilities) are the ability to understand, reason about, and remember visual and spatial relationships between objects [Jansen, 2009].

It is conventional to divide spatial abilities into large-scale spatial abilities and small-scale spatial abilities [Hegarty et al., 2006].

The relationship between these two categories can be described by four models: the unitary model (both categories overlap), the full dissociation model (both categories are independent of each other), the partial dissociation model (some functions are shared), and the mediation model (linked through a third variable) [Hegarty et al., 2006].

According to neuroimaging research data (fMRI, PET), small-scale spatial abilities share common brain regions with other cognitive functions:

1. Working memory, like small-scale spatial abilities, shows activation zones in the right precentral gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), and left supramarginal gyrus [Chein et al., 2011; Fassbender et al., 2011];
2. Arithmetic and calculation, like small-scale spatial abilities, show activation zones in the precuneus, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right precentral gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), and left supramarginal gyrus [Fehr et al., 2007; Benn et al., 2013];
3. Motor imagery representation, like small-scale spatial abilities, shows activation zones in the precuneus, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right precentral gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), left superior parietal lobule (SPL), right inferior occipital gyrus (IOG), and left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) [Thompson and Baccus, 2012; Chinier et al., 2014];
4. Finger dexterity control, like small-scale spatial abilities, shows activation zones in the precuneus, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), right precentral gyrus, left supramarginal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), and left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) [Akhlaghi et al., 2012; Lavrysen et al., 2012];
5. Comparison processes, like small-scale spatial abilities, show activation zones in the right precentral gyrus and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) [Soulières et al., 2009].

Thus, the involvement of these structures may indicate a connection between small-scale spatial abilities and motor imagery and finger / hand movement representation, working memory for information processing, calculations, and feature matching.