The neural basis for categorization in semantic memory.

Full Abstract

We asked young adults to categorize written object descriptions into one of two categories, based on a rule or on overall similarity, while we monitored regional brain activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We found significantly greater recruitment of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for rule-based categorization in direct comparison with similarity-based categorization. Recruitment of right ventral frontal cortex and thalamus was uniquely associated with rule-based categorization as well. These observations lend support to the claim that executive functions such as working memory, inhibitory control, and selective attention contribute to rule-based categorization. Right inferior parietal activation was uniquely associated with similarity-based categorization. This region may play an important role in overall feature configuration that is important for this form of categorization. We found other brain regions recruited for both rule-based and similarity-based categorization:
Anterior cingulate cortex may support the implementation of executive functions during situations with competing response alternatives; and left inferior parietal cortex may be related to the integration of feature knowledge about objects represented in modality-specific association cortices. We also administered a degraded-similarity condition where the task of categorizing a written object description was made more difficult by perceptually degrading the stimulus materials. The degraded condition and the rule-based condition, but not the similarity-based condition, were associated with caudate activation. The caudate may support resource demands that are not specific for a particular categorization process. These findings associate partially distinct large-scale neural networks with different forms of categorization in semantic memory.

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Author information

Author/s: Grossman, Murray (M); Smith, Edward E (EE); Koenig, Phyllis (P); Glosser, Guila (G); DeVita, Chris (C); Moore, Peachie (P); McMillan, Corey (C);

Affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104, USA. mgrossma(-atsign-)mail.med.upenn.edu

Grants: AG15116 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; AG17586 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; NS35867 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: NeuroImage (Neuroimage), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Nov; vol 17 (issue 3) : pp 1549-61

Dates: Created 2002/11/04; Completed 2003/02/13; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 12414293, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Brain Mapping
Caudate Nucleus - physiology
Cerebral Cortex - physiology
Decision Making - physiology
Discrimination Learning - physiology
Female
Gyrus Cinguli - physiology
Humans

Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Imaging, Three-Dimensional
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Mental Recall - physiology
Nerve Net - physiology
Problem Solving - physiology
Reaction Time - physiology
Semantics
Verbal Learning - physiology

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