Summary: A new study shows that our ability to recall details on familiar objects, such as the typical color of a banana, depends on strong connections between visual areas and brain language processing. The researchers noted that patients who have undergone a stroke with disturbed neuronal routes between these regions had knowledge of the colors of lower objects and a modified brain activity.
Using the IMF and broadcasting imaging, the team has shown that the Cortex Ventral Occiporal (VOTC), which deals with visual details, works in tandem with linguistic areas such as the anterior temporal lobe. This observation reveals that language does not only describe the world – it helps to structure the way we perceive it and store it.
Key facts:
- Integrated systems: Knowledge of objects depends on the connections between visual and linguistic regions.
- Impact of brain lesions: Disconnection linked to stroke has disrupted cerebral activity and the precision of colors.
- Perception of language forms: Language is not only descriptive – it helps to structure the way the brain stores sensory information.
Source: Plos
Our ability to store information on familiar objects depends on the connection between visual treatment regions and language in the brain, according to a study published on May 20th In the open access newspaper Biology PLOS By Bo Liu of the University of Normal of Beijing, China and colleagues.
See an object and know visual information on this subject, such as its usual color, activate the same parts of the brain.
Seeing a yellow banana, for example, and knowing that the object represented by the word “banana” is generally yellow, both excite the Cortex Ocipitotemporal Ventral (Votc).
However, there is evidence that parts of the brain involved in language, such as the dorsal anterior temporal lobe (ATL), are also involved in this process – patients with dementia suffering from ATL damage, for example, have trouble with knowledge on the colors of objects, despite relatively normal visual treatment areas.
To understand if the communication between brain language and sensory association systems is necessary to represent information on objects, the authors have tested if damage induced by the stroke to the neuronal tracks connecting these two systems have had an impact on the ability of patients to match objects to their typical color.
They compared the color identification behavior in 33 patients with 35 demographically paired witnesses, using irmf to record brain activity and diffusion imaging to map the white substance connections between linguistic regions and Votc.
The researchers noted that the stronger connections between the regions of language and visual processing were correlated with stronger object -colored representations in the Votc and supported better performance on the tasks of knowledge of the colors of objects.
These effects could not be explained by variations in patients’ stroke lesions, related cognitive processes (such as simply recognizing a color patch), or problems with previous stages of visual treatment.
The authors suggest that these results highlight the sophisticated link between vision and language in the human brain.
The authors add: “Our results reveal that the capacity of the brain to store and recover the perceptual knowledge of objects – like the color of a banana – takes place on critical connections between visual and linguistic systems.
“Damage to these connections disrupt both brain activity and behavior, showing that language is not only for communication – this fundamentally shapes the way in which sensory experiences are structured in knowledge.”
Funding: This work was supported by the STI2030-Major project (https://en.most.gov.cn/, 2021zd0204100 (2021zd0204104) in YB), the National Natural Science Foundation of China/https://www.nsfc.gov.cn/english/site_1/indml, 319250 and ethite_1/index.html, 319250 82021004 in YB, 32171052 in XSW, 32071050 in XYW), and fundamental research funds for central universities (http://en.moe.gov.cn/, at YB).
The donors had no role in the design of the study, the collection and the analysis of the data, the decision to publish or the preparation of the manuscript.
About this language and news of the search for visual memory
Author: Claire Turner
Source: Plos
Contact: Claire Turner – Plos
Picture: The image is credited with Neuroscience News
Original search: Open access.
“The representation of the knowledge of objects in the human visual cortex requires a connection with the linguistic system” by Yanchao Bi et al. Biology PLOS
Abstract
The representation of the knowledge of objects in the human visual cortex requires a connection with the language system
How global knowledge is stored in the human brain is a central issue in cognitive neuroscience. The effects of the knowledge of objects have been commonly observed in the sensory cortex of a higher order, the role of language being very debated.
Using the color of the object as a test case, we have studied if communication with the linguistic system plays a necessary role in the neuronal representation of knowledge in the visual cortex and the corresponding behaviors, combining diffusion imaging (measuring the structural integrity of white matter), functional MRI (IRM.N= 33; 18 With lesions of the left hemisphere, 11 with lesions of the right hemisphere and 4 with bilateral lesions).
The loss of structural integrity of the white connection of matter between the region of anterior temporal language and the ventral visual cortex had a significant effect on the neuronal representation of the knowledge of the color of objects in the ventral visual cortex and on the behavior of the knowledge of the colors of objects through the modalities.
These contributions could not be explained by the potential effects of the path of early visual perception or brain or cognitive variables confounding potential.
Our experiences reveal the contribution of the visual language connection in the Cortex Ventral occipitomral (Votc), the neuronal representation of objects and the behaviors of knowledge of objects, highlighting the importance of the interface of the language sensory system.
