A Multimodal Analysis of the Time-Course and Neuroanatomy of Real-World Comprehension and its Implications for Schizophrenia
Perrone, Christopher Michael
2010
- Deficits in real-world knowledge may underlie both abnormal comprehension and behavior in schizophrenia, contributing to patients' disability. Previous findings suggest that patients with schizophrenia may under-recruit dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) when comprehension requires knowledge of principles of goal-directed actions. One possible explanation for this is that patients were distracted ... read moreby goal-irrelevant but salient aspects of visual scenes (e.g., patterns of object motion) and consequently adopted a less optimal comprehension strategy. Characterizing the rapid spatiotemporal neural dynamics during real-world comprehension can help to examine this possibility. Here we present high-temporal-resolution multimodal-imaging data in healthy participants that motivate applying this paradigm to schizophrenia. Electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) were recorded simultaneously while participants reported whether they understood the goals of activities depicted in short video-clips that included either usual or unconventional objects and object-specific or non-specific actions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to account for individual differences in cortical folding and head shape when analyzing EEG/MEG activity. Late positivity in event-related potentials revealed increased efforts for integrating unconventional objects and non-specific actions. Analysis of EEG and MEG statistical parametric maps localized activity in response to conventional objects and object-specific actions in the temporal cortex (implicated in the knowledge of objects) at ~300ms, while unconventional objects and non-specific motions were linked to later activity in the DLPFC. Thus, it is possible that familiar yet goal-irrelevant aspects of real-world activities, which are processed rapidly in temporal cortex, may draw processing resources away from the later DLPFC-mediated analysis. Keywords: Real-world comprehension, schizophrenia, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.read less
- ID:
- dz0111901
- Component ID:
- tufts:UA005.006.113.00001
- To Cite:
- TARC Citation Guide EndNote
