Making Similarities and Conceptualizing are Two Prefrontal Distinct Functions Serving Categorization

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Making Similarities and Conceptualizing are Two Prefrontal Distinct Functions Serving Categorization B. Dubois1, 2, B. Garcin1, 3*, R. Levy1, 3, B. Oliviero1 and E. Volle1 1 INSERM UMRS 975, Institut du cerveau et de la moelle épiniére (ICM), France 2 hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP Service deneurologie, France 3 hôpital Saint-Antoine, AP-HP Service de neurologie, France While performing categorization tasks, some patients with frontal lobe syndrome could not indicate the physical similarities between real-life objects, whereas others could not conceptualize the abstract (or semantic) link that binds these elements. This clinical dissociation raises the question of whether making similarities and conceptualizing are two distinct processes involving separate areas of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). To test these hypotheses, 20 healthy human subjects performed an fMRI experiment combined with an experimental cognitive paradigm that allowed us to study separately the neural basis of similarities and conceptualization. This study shows that making similarities involves bilaterally the rostral ventrolateral prefrontal regions (BA 11/47), whereas conceptualization activates different areas located in the left dorsolateral and ventrolateral PFC (BA 8/9/10/44/45), without overlap between activation dedicated to these two processes and no significant interaction between them. The results of this study suggest that making similarities and conceptualizing are two independent processes relying on different prefrontal areas. These results will be discussed in terms of their implications to understand the role of the PFC in behavioral integration as well as their potential impact to understand the clinical syndrome that occurs after damage to different parts of the frontal lobes. Conference: The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes, Toronto, Canada, 22 Mar - 26 Mar, 2010. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Cognitive Neuroscience Citation: Dubois B, Garcin B, Levy R, Oliviero B and Volle E (2010). Making Similarities and Conceptualizing are Two Prefrontal Distinct Functions Serving Categorization. Conference Abstract: The 20th Annual Rotman Research Institute Conference, The frontal lobes. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnins.2010.14.00106 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 29 Jun 2010; Published Online: 29 Jun 2010. * Correspondence: B. Garcin, INSERM UMRS 975, Institut du cerveau et de la moelle épiniére (ICM), Paris, France, beagarcin@msn.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers B. Dubois B. Garcin R. Levy B. Oliviero E. Volle Google B. Dubois B. Garcin R. Levy B. Oliviero E. Volle Google Scholar B. Dubois B. Garcin R. Levy B. Oliviero E. Volle PubMed B. Dubois B. Garcin R. Levy B. Oliviero E. Volle Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.