Neuroimaging evidence for object model verification theory: Role of prefrontal control in visual object categorization.

Full Abstract

Although the visual system rapidly categorizes objects seen under optimal viewing conditions, the categorization of objects seen under impoverished viewing conditions not only requires more time but may also depend more on top-down processing, as hypothesized by object model verification theory. Two studies, one with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and one behavioral with the same stimuli, tested this hypothesis. FMRI data were acquired while people categorized more impoverished (MI) and less impoverished (LI) line drawings of objects. FMRI results revealed stronger activation during the MI than LI condition in brain regions involved in top-down control (inferior and medial prefrontal cortex, intraparietal sulcus), and in posterior, object-sensitive brain regions (ventral and dorsal occipitotemporal, and occipitoparietal cortex). The behavioral study indicated that taxing visuospatial working memory, a key component of top-down control processes during visual tasks, interferes more with the categorization of MI stimuli (but not LI stimuli) than does taxing verbal working memory. Together, these findings provide evidence for object model verification theory and implicate greater prefrontal cortex involvement in top-down control of posterior visual processes during the categorization of more impoverished images of objects.

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Author information

Author/s: Ganis, Giorgio (G); Schendan, Haline E (HE); Kosslyn, Stephen M (SM);

Affiliation: Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. ganis(-atsign-)nmr.mgh.harvard.edu

Grants: 1 R21 MH068610-01A1 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; 2 R01 MH060734-05A1 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; 5 F32 AG005914 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; P41RR14075 (Agency:NCRR NIH HHS) ; R01 MH060734-05A1 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 MH060734-06 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R21 MH068610-02 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

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

Reference: 2007-Jan; vol 34 (issue 1) : pp 384-98

Dates: Created 2006/11/24; Completed 2007/07/09; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 17071109, 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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