scholarly journals Hemispheric Specialization within the Superior Anterior Temporal Cortex for Social and Nonsocial Concepts

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gorana Pobric ◽  
Matthew A. Lambon Ralph ◽  
Roland Zahn
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Semantic Representation ◽  
Hemispheric Specialization ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Hemispheric Differences ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Temporal Lobes ◽  
Knowledge Domains ◽  
Functional Relevance ◽  
The Right

Studies of semantic dementia, imaging, and repetitive TMS have suggested that the bilateral anterior temporal lobes (ATLs) underpin a modality-invariant representational hub within the semantic system. Questions remain, however, regarding functional specialization across a variety of knowledge domains within the ATL region. We investigated direct evidence for the functional relevance of the superior ATL in processing social concepts. Using converging evidence from noninvasive brain stimulation and neuropsychology, we demonstrate graded differentiation of right and left superior anterior temporal areas in social cognition. Whereas the left superior ATL is necessary for processing both social and nonsocial abstract concepts, social conceptual processing predominates in the right superior ATL. This graded hemispheric specialization is mirrored in the patient results. Our data shed new light on the classic debate about hemispheric differences in semantic and social cognition. These results are considered in the context of models of semantic representation and the emerging data on connectivity for left and right ATL regions.

scholarly journals Barking up the right tree: Univariate and multivariate fMRI analyses of homonym comprehension

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Hoffman ◽  
Andres Tamm
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Control Function ◽  
Semantic Representation ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Unrelated Word ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Neuroimaging Data ◽  
The Right

AbstractHomonyms are a critical test case for investigating how the brain resolves ambiguity in language and, more generally, how context influences semantic processing. Previous neuroimaging studies have associated processing of homonyms with greater engagement of regions involved in executive control of semantic processing. However, the precise role of these areas and the involvement of semantic representational regions in homonym comprehension remain elusive. We addressed this by combining univariate and multivariate fMRI analyses of homonym processing. We tested whether multi-voxel activation patterns could discriminate between presentations of the same homonym in different contexts (e.g., bark following tree vs. bark following dog). The ventral anterior temporal lobe, implicated in semantic representation but not previously in homonym comprehension, showed this meaning-specific coding, despite not showing increased mean activation for homonyms. Within inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), a key site for semantic control, there was a dissociation between pars orbitalis, which also showed meaning-specific coding, and pars triangularis, which discriminated more generally between semantically related and unrelated word pairs. IFG effects were goal-dependent, only occurring when the task required semantic decisions, in line with a top-down control function. Finally, posterior middle temporal cortex showed a hybrid pattern of responses, supporting the idea that it acts as an interface between semantic representations and the control system. The study provides new evidence for context-dependent coding in the semantic system and clarifies the role of control regions in processing ambiguity. It also highlights the importance of combining univariate and multivariate neuroimaging data to fully elucidate the role of a brain region in semantic cognition.

scholarly journals Evidence for Integrated Visual Face and Body Representations in the Anterior Temporal Lobes

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 1178-1193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bronson B. Harry ◽  
Katja Umla-Runge ◽  
Andrew D. Lawrence ◽  
Kim S. Graham ◽  
Paul E. Downing
Keyword(s):  
Neural Coding ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Unexpected Finding ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Strong Response ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
Temporal Lobes ◽  
Anterior Temporal Lobes ◽  
The Right

Research on visual face perception has revealed a region in the ventral anterior temporal lobes, often referred to as the anterior temporal face patch (ATFP), which responds strongly to images of faces. To date, the selectivity of the ATFP has been examined by contrasting responses to faces against a small selection of categories. Here, we assess the selectivity of the ATFP in humans with a broad range of visual control stimuli to provide a stronger test of face selectivity in this region. In Experiment 1, participants viewed images from 20 stimulus categories in an event-related fMRI design. Faces evoked more activity than all other 19 categories in the left ATFP. In the right ATFP, equally strong responses were observed for both faces and headless bodies. To pursue this unexpected finding, in Experiment 2, we used multivoxel pattern analysis to examine whether the strong response to face and body stimuli reflects a common coding of both classes or instead overlapping but distinct representations. On a voxel-by-voxel basis, face and whole-body responses were significantly positively correlated in the right ATFP, but face and body-part responses were not. This finding suggests that there is shared neural coding of faces and whole bodies in the right ATFP that does not extend to individual body parts. In contrast, the same approach revealed distinct face and body representations in the right fusiform gyrus. These results are indicative of an increasing convergence of distinct sources of person-related perceptual information proceeding from the posterior to the anterior temporal cortex.

scholarly journals Visual Hypo and Hypergnosia as Exemplars of Poles of Psychic Tonus in the Occipital Lobes: Multiple Case Analyses

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 153-168
Author(s):  
Claude M. J. Braun ◽  
Anik Guimond
Keyword(s):  
Visual Imagery ◽  
Visual Hallucination ◽  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Hemispheric Specialization ◽  
Unilateral Lesion ◽  
Temporal Lobes ◽  
Parietal Lobes ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
The Right ◽  
Occipital Lobes

The “psychic tonus” model or PTM [1] of hemispheric specialization states that the left hemisphere is a psychic and behavioral activator and that the right hemisphere is an inhibitor. The PTM predicts that the tonus of visual representation ought to manifest hemispheric specialization in the occipital lobes. Specifically PTM predicts that pathological positive visual tonus (visual hallucination) ought to be associated more frequently with right occipital lesions. PTM also predicts that pathological negative visual tonus (loss of visual imagery) ought to result more often from left occipital lesions. We reviewed 78 cases of post lesion hallucination and 12 cases of post lesion loss of evocation of images, all following a unilateral lesion. Analyses of these relevant previously published cases support the predictions. In accordance with previously published demonstrations of hemispheric specialization for auditory tonus in the temporal lobes and for somesthetic tonus in the parietal lobes, the present findings extend the psychic tonus model of hemispheric specialization to vision in the occipital lobes.

Individual Differences and Hemispheric Asymmetry While Processing Emotional Words

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay M. Niccolai ◽  
Thomas Holtgraves
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Hemispheric Asymmetry ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Hemispheric Differences ◽  
Affective Valence ◽  
Emotional Words ◽  
Emotion Words ◽  
The Right

This research examined differences in the perception of emotion words as a function of individual differences in subclinical levels of depression and anxiety. Participants completed measures of depression and anxiety and performed a lexical decision task for words varying in affective valence (but equated for arousal) that were presented briefly to the right or left visual field. Participants with a lower level of depression demonstrated hemispheric asymmetry with a bias toward words presented to the left hemisphere, but participants with a higher level of depression displayed no hemispheric differences. Participants with a lower level of depression also demonstrated a bias toward positive words, a pattern that did not occur for participants with a higher level of depression. A similar pattern occurred for anxiety. Overall, this study demonstrates how variability in levels of depression and anxiety can influence the perception of emotion words, with patterns that are consistent with past research.

Emotion Recognition Deficits in Psychiatric Disorders as a Target of Non-invasive Neuromodulation: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 155005942199168
Author(s):  
Yuji Yamada ◽  
Takuma Inagawa ◽  
Naotsugu Hirabayashi ◽  
Tomiki Sumiyoshi
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Parietal Lobe ◽  
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Cognitive Benefits ◽  
The Right ◽  
English Articles

Background. Social cognition deficits are a core feature of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and mood disorder, and deteriorate the functionality of patients. However, no definite strategy has been established to treat social cognition (eg, emotion recognition) impairments in these illnesses. Here, we provide a systematic review of the literature regarding transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the treatment of social cognition deficits in individuals with psychiatric disorders. Methods. A literature search was conducted on English articles identified by PubMed, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases, according to the guidelines of the PRISMA statement. We defined the inclusion criteria as follows: (1) randomized controlled trials (RCTs), (2) targeting patients with psychiatric disorders (included in F20-F39 of the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems [ICD-10]), (3) evaluating the effect of tDCS or rTMS, (4) reporting at least one standardized social cognition test. Results. Five papers (3 articles on tDCS and 2 articles on rTMS) met the inclusion criteria which deal with schizophrenia or depression. The significant effects of tDCS or rTMS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on the emotion recognition domain were reported in patients with schizophrenia or depression. In addition, rTMS on the right inferior parietal lobe was shown to ameliorate social perception impairments of schizophrenia. Conclusions. tDCS and rTMS may enhance some domains of social cognition in patients with psychiatric disorders. Further research is warranted to identify optimal parameters to maximize the cognitive benefits of these neuromodulation methods.

scholarly journals Scene Complexity: A New Perspective on Understanding the Scene Semantics of Remote Sensing and Designing Image-Adaptive Convolutional Neural Networks

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 742
Author(s):  
Jian Peng ◽  
Xiaoming Mei ◽  
Wenbo Li ◽  
Liang Hong ◽  
Bingyu Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Neural Networks ◽  
Fundamental Problem ◽  
Semantic Representation ◽  
Feature Learning ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Complex Scene ◽  
Feature Representations ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Relationship

Scene understanding of remote sensing images is of great significance in various applications. Its fundamental problem is how to construct representative features. Various convolutional neural network architectures have been proposed for automatically learning features from images. However, is the current way of configuring the same architecture to learn all the data while ignoring the differences between images the right one? It seems to be contrary to our intuition: it is clear that some images are easier to recognize, and some are harder to recognize. This problem is the gap between the characteristics of the images and the learning features corresponding to specific network structures. Unfortunately, the literature so far lacks an analysis of the two. In this paper, we explore this problem from three aspects: we first build a visual-based evaluation pipeline of scene complexity to characterize the intrinsic differences between images; then, we analyze the relationship between semantic concepts and feature representations, i.e., the scalability and hierarchy of features which the essential elements in CNNs of different architectures, for remote sensing scenes of different complexity; thirdly, we introduce CAM, a visualization method that explains feature learning within neural networks, to analyze the relationship between scenes with different complexity and semantic feature representations. The experimental results show that a complex scene would need deeper and multi-scale features, whereas a simpler scene would need lower and single-scale features. Besides, the complex scene concept is more dependent on the joint semantic representation of multiple objects. Furthermore, we propose the framework of scene complexity prediction for an image and utilize it to design a depth and scale-adaptive model. It achieves higher performance but with fewer parameters than the original model, demonstrating the potential significance of scene complexity.

scholarly journals Sex differences in neural and behavioral signatures of cooperation revealed by fNIRS hyperscanning

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Baker ◽  
Ning Liu ◽  
Xu Cui ◽  
Pascal Vrticka ◽  
Manish Saggar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Neural Correlates ◽  
Behavioral Signatures ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
The Right ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Researchers from multiple fields have sought to understand how sex moderates human social behavior. While over 50 years of research has revealed differences in cooperation behavior of males and females, the underlying neural correlates of these sex differences have not been explained. A missing and fundamental element of this puzzle is an understanding of how the sex composition of an interacting dyad influences the brain and behavior during cooperation. Using fNIRS-based hyperscanning in 111 same- and mixed-sex dyads, we identified significant behavioral and neural sex-related differences in association with a computer-based cooperation task. Dyads containing at least one male demonstrated significantly higher behavioral performance than female/female dyads. Individual males and females showed significant activation in the right frontopolar and right inferior prefrontal cortices, although this activation was greater in females compared to males. Female/female dyad’s exhibited significant inter-brain coherence within the right temporal cortex, while significant coherence in male/male dyads occurred in the right inferior prefrontal cortex. Significant coherence was not observed in mixed-sex dyads. Finally, for same-sex dyads only, task-related inter-brain coherence was positively correlated with cooperation task performance. Our results highlight multiple important and previously undetected influences of sex on concurrent neural and behavioral signatures of cooperation.

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