QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, May 3, 2006, 26(18):4917-4921; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5389-05.2006

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (20) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Goldberg, R. F. Articles by Schneider, W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Goldberg, R. F. Articles by Schneider, W.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Brief Communications
Perceptual Knowledge Retrieval Activates Sensory Brain Regions

Robert F. Goldberg,¹ Charles A. Perfetti,² and Walter Schneider²

¹University of Pennsylvania, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, ²University of Pittsburgh, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260

Correspondence should be addressed to Robert F. Goldberg, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, 3720 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Email: robg{at}psych.upenn.edu

Although knowledge indexes our experiences of the world, the neural basis of this relationship remains to be determined. Previous neuroimaging research, especially involving knowledge biased to visual and functional information, suggests that semantic representations depend on modality-specific brain mechanisms. However, it is unclear whether sensory cortical regions, in general, support retrieval of perceptual knowledge. Using neuroimaging methods, we show that semantic decisions that index tactile, gustatory, auditory, and visual knowledge specifically activate brain regions associated with encoding these sensory experiences. Retrieval of tactile knowledge was specifically associated with increased activation in somatosensory, motor, and premotor cortical regions. In contrast, decisions involving flavor knowledge increased activation in an orbitofrontal region previously implicated in processing semantic comparisons among edible items. Perceptual knowledge retrieval that references visual and auditory experiences was associated with increased activity in distinct temporal brain regions involved in the respective sensory processing. These results indicate that retrieval of perceptual knowledge relies on brain regions used to mediate sensory experiences with the referenced objects.

Key words: memory; language; imaging; fMRI; sensorimotor; decision; cerebral cortex

---

Received Dec. 17, 2005; revised March 20, 2006; accepted March 22, 2006.

Correspondence should be addressed to Robert F. Goldberg, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, 3720 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Email: robg{at}psych.upenn.edu

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. R. Binder, R. H. Desai, W. W. Graves, and L. L. Conant Where Is the Semantic System? A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis of 120 Functional Neuroimaging Studies Cereb Cortex, December 1, 2009; 19(12): 2767 - 2796. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Pecher, S. van Dantzig, and H. N. J. Schifferstein Concepts are not represented by conscious imagery Psychon Bull Rev, October 1, 2009; 16(5): 914 - 919. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. Lynott and L. Connell Modality exclusivity norms for 423 object properties Behav Res Methods, May 1, 2009; 41(2): 558 - 564. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. J. M. Kraemer, L. M. Rosenberg, and S. L. Thompson-Schill The Neural Correlates of Visual and Verbal Cognitive Styles J. Neurosci., March 25, 2009; 29(12): 3792 - 3798. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. A. Rahman and W. Sommer Seeing what we know and understand: How knowledge shapes perception Psychon Bull Rev, December 1, 2008; 15(6): 1055 - 1063. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Kiefer, E.-J. Sim, B. Herrnberger, J. Grothe, and K. Hoenig The Sound of Concepts: Four Markers for a Link between Auditory and Conceptual Brain Systems J. Neurosci., November 19, 2008; 28(47): 12224 - 12230. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. M. Mitchell, S. V. Shinkareva, A. Carlson, K.-M. Chang, V. L. Malave, R. A. Mason, and M. A. Just Predicting Human Brain Activity Associated with the Meanings of Nouns Science, May 30, 2008; 320(5880): 1191 - 1195. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. F. Goldberg, C. A. Perfetti, J. A. Fiez, and W. Schneider Selective Retrieval of Abstract Semantic Knowledge in Left Prefrontal Cortex J. Neurosci., April 4, 2007; 27(14): 3790 - 3798. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help