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| Research article summary (published 29 Nov 2001): |
Activation of right fronto-temporal cortex characterizes the 'living' category in semantic processing.
Full Abstract
It is a vital ability for humans to distinguish between living and non-living objects. Whether the semantic features of these two classes of objects are represented in distinct brain areas, is unknown. In our study, words belonging to the categories 'living' and 'non-living' were presented visually to twelve right-handed volunteers, while brain activation was measured with event-related fMRI. Subjects had to judge whether the item belonged to one of these categories. Common areas of activation (P<0.05, corrected) during processing of both categories include the inferior occipital gyri bilaterally (BA 17/18), left inferior frontal gyrus (BA 44/45) and left inferior parietal lobe (BA 40). During processing of 'living' minus 'non-living' items, signal changes (P<0.05, corrected) were present in the the right inferior frontal (BA 47), middle temporal (BA 21) and fusiform gyrus (BA 19). Our results are in line with findings from patients with a deficit in semantic processing of living things, who specifically suffer from right hemispheric lesions.
Author information
Author/s: Leube, D T (DT); Erb, M (M); Grodd, W (W); Bartels, M (M); Kircher, T T (TT);
Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. dirk.leube(-atsign-)med.uni-tuebingen.de
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article
Journal: Brain research. Cognitive brain research (Brain Res Cogn Brain Res), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2001-Dec; vol 12 (issue 3) : pp 425-30
Dates: Created 2001/11/05; Completed 2002/02/28; Revised 2006/11/15;
PMID: 11689302, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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