The neural basis for category-specific knowledge: an fMRI study.

Full Abstract

Functional neuroimaging studies of healthy adults have associated different categories of knowledge with distinct activation patterns. The basis for these recruitment patterns has been controversial, due in part to the limited range of categories that has been studied. We used fMRI to monitor regional cortical recruitment patterns while subjects were exposed to printed names of Animals, Implements, and Abstract nouns. Both Implements and Abstract nouns were related to recruitment of left posterolateral temporal cortex and left prefrontal cortex, and Abstract nouns additionally recruited posterolateral temporal and prefrontal regions of the right hemisphere. Animals were associated with activation of ventral-medial occipital cortex in the left hemisphere at a level that approaches significance. These findings are not consistent with the "sensory-motor" model proposed to explain the neural representation of word knowledge. We suggest instead a neural model of semantic memory that reflects the processes common to understanding Implements and Abstract nouns and a selective sensitivity, possibly evolving from adaptive pressures, to the overlapping, intercorrelated visual characteristics of Animals.(C)2002 Elsevier Science (USA).

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Author information

Author/s: Grossman, Murray (M); Koenig, Phyllis (P); DeVita, Chris (C); Glosser, Guila (G); Alsop, David (D); Detre, John (J); Gee, James (J);

Affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.

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, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

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

Reference: 2002-Apr; vol 15 (issue 4) : pp 936-48

Dates: Created 2002/03/21; Completed 2002/05/30; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 11906234, 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.

Adult
Arousal - physiology
Attention - physiology
Brain Mapping
Female
Fourier Analysis
Frontal Lobe - physiology
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted

Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Mental Recall - physiology
Motivation
Paired-Associate Learning - physiology
Prefrontal Cortex - physiology
Problem Solving - physiology
Temporal Lobe - physiology
Verbal Learning - physiology

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