Dissociation of automatic and strategic lexical-semantics: functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence for differing roles of multiple frontotemporal regions.

Full Abstract

Behavioral research has demonstrated three major components of the lexical-semantic processing system:
automatic activation of semantic representations, strategic retrieval of semantic representations, and inhibition of competitors. However, these component processes are inherently conflated in explicit lexical-semantic decision tasks typically used in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research. Here, we combine the logic of behavioral priming studies and the neurophysiological phenomenon of fMRI priming to dissociate the neural bases of automatic and strategic lexical-semantic processes across a series of three studies. A single lexical decision task was used in all studies, with stimulus onset asynchrony or linguistic relationship between prime and target being manipulated. Study 1 demonstrated automatic semantic priming in the left mid-fusiform gyrus (mid-FFG) and strategic semantic priming in five regions:
left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), bilateral anterior cingulate, anterior left inferior prefrontal cortex (aLIPC), and posterior LIPC (pLIPC). These priming effects were explored in more detail in two subsequent studies. Study 2 replicated the automatic priming effect in mid-FFG and demonstrated that automatic priming in this region is preferential for the semantic domain. Study 3 demonstrated a neural dissociation in regions contributing to the strategic semantic priming effect. Strategic semantic facilitation was observed in the aLIPC and MTG, whereas strategic semantic inhibition was observed in the pLIPC and anterior cingulate. These studies provide reproducible evidence for a neural dissociation between three well established components of the lexical-semantic processing system.

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Author information

Author/s: Gold, Brian T (BT); Balota, David A (DA); Jones, Sara J (SJ); Powell, David K (DK); Smith, Charles D (CD); Andersen, Anders H (AH);

Affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Chandler Medical Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0298, USA. brian.gold(-atsign-)uky.edu

Grants: P50 AG05144-21 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; R03 DC007315 (Agency:NIDCD NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (J Neurosci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Jun; vol 26 (issue 24) : pp 6523-32

Dates: Created 2006/06/15; Completed 2006/07/11; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 16775140, 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
Analysis of Variance
Automatism
Brain Mapping
Decision Making - physiology
Female
Frontal Lobe - blood supply
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods

Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Oxygen - blood
Photic Stimulation - methods
Reaction Time - physiology
Semantics
Temporal Lobe - blood supply
Time Factors
Vocabulary

Associated Chemicals: Oxygen (7782-44-7)

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