Familiarity and conceptual priming engage distinct cortical networks.

Full Abstract

Familiarity refers to an explicit recognition experience without any necessary retrieval of specific detail related to the episode during which initial learning transpired. Prior experience can also implicitly influence subsequent processing through a memory phenomenon termed conceptual priming, which occurs without explicit awareness of recognition. Resolving current theoretical controversy on relationships between familiarity and conceptual priming requires a clarification of their neural substrates. Accordingly, we obtained functional magnetic resonance images in a novel paradigm for separately assessing neural correlates of familiarity and conceptual priming using famous and nonfamous faces. Conceptual priming, as shown by more accurate behavioral responses to strongly conceptually primed than to weakly conceptually primed faces, was associated with activity reductions in left prefrontal cortex, whereas familiarity was associated with activity enhancements in right parietal cortex for more-familiar compared with less-familiar faces. This neuroimaging evidence implicates separate neurocognitive processes operative in explicit stimulus recognition versus implicit conceptual priming.

Author information

Author/s: Voss, Joel L (JL); Reber, Paul J (PJ); Mesulam, M-Marsel (MM); Parrish, Todd B (TB); Paller, Ken A (KA);

Affiliation: Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, 2029 Sheridan Road, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208-2710, USA. joel-voss(-atsign-)northwestern.edu

Grants: P30 AG013854-13 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; P30 AG13854 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS) ; R01 NS34639 (Agency:NINDS NIH HHS) ; T32 AG20506 (Agency:NIA 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: Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) (Cereb Cortex), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2008-Jul; vol 18 (issue 7) : pp 1712-9

Dates: Created 2008/06/18; Completed 2008/08/21; Revised 2009/09/04;

PMID: 18056085, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 9/7/2009, IMS Date: )

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