Abstract
The Embedded Figures Task (EFT) involves search for a target hidden in a complex geometric pattern. Even though the EFT is designed to probe local visual search functions, not language–related processes, neuropsychological studies have demonstrated a strong association between aphasia and impairment on this task. A potential explanation for this relationship was offered by a recent functional MRI study (Manjaly et al., 2003), which demonstrated that a part of the left posterior inferior frontal gyrus (pIFG), overlapping with Broca's region, is crucially involved in the execution of the EFT. This result suggested that pIFG, an area strongly associated with language–related functions, is also part of a network subserving cognitive functions unrelated to language. In this study, we tested this conjecture by analysing the data of Manjaly et al. for context–dependent functional interactions of the pIFG during execution of the EFT. The results showed that during EFT, compared to a similar visual matching task with minimal local search components, pIFG changed its interactions with areas commonly involved in visuospatial processing: Increased contributions to neural activity in left posterior parietal cortex, cerebellar vermis, and extrastriate areas bilaterally, as well as decreased contributions to bilateral temporo–parietal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and left dorsal premotor cortex were found. These findings demonstrate that left pIFG can be involved in nonlanguage processes. More generally, however, they provide a concrete example of the notion that there is no general one–to–one mapping between cognitive functions and the activations of individual areas. Instead, it is the spatiotemporal pattern of functional interactions between areas that is linked to a particular cognitive context.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.