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A Comprehensive Protocol for Manual Segmentation of the Medial Temporal Lobe Structures

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Category-specificity in the human medial temporal lobe cortex.

L Litman¹, T Awipi, L Davachi

¹Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.

|November 7, 2008

Summary

The medial temporal lobe cortex (MTLC) shows a continuum of function, not distinct regions. Posterior areas prefer scenes, anterior areas prefer objects, forming a gradient across the MTLC.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Neuroimaging

Background:

The medial temporal lobe cortex (MTLC) connects neocortical areas and the hippocampus.
Functional distinctions are proposed: perirhinal cortex (PRc) for objects, posterior parahippocampal cortex (PHc) for spatial information.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the functional organization of the MTLC using BOLD responses.
To determine if distinct object-preferential (PRc) and scene-preferential (PHc) regions exist or if there's a continuum.

Main Methods:

Measured differential BOLD (Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent) responses to objects and scenes.
Utilized an anatomical region of interest (ROI) based approach.
Examined responses to other stimuli like faces and words.

Main Results:

Observed a double dissociation: anterior PRc responded to objects, posterior PHc responded to scenes.
Found a graded, linear decrease in scene preference anteriorly, with object preference emerging in anterior PRc.
Relative response to objects vs. scenes, not just above-baseline activation, differentiated MTLC regions.

Conclusions:

The MTLC may be organized along a single continuum rather than having sharply divided functional regions.
Posterior PHc and anterior PRc represent opposite ends of this organizational gradient.
This continuum supports the integration of object and spatial information processing.