Tool selection and the ventral-dorsal organization of tool-related knowledge

Tool selection is a cognitive process necessary for tool use, and may rely on distinct knowledge under different conditions. This fMRI experiment was designed to identify neural substrates mediating tool selection under different conditions. Participants performed a picture-matching task that presented a recipient object and an action-goal, and required the selection of the best tool object from among four candidates. Some trials allowed selection of the prototypical tool, whereas others forced selection of either a functionally substitutable or impossible tool. Statistical contrasts revealed significantly different activation between Proto and Sub conditions in frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes. The middle temporal gyrus (MTG) bilaterally, and the right posterior cingulate were more strongly activated by prototypical tool selection, and left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), intraparietal sulcus (IPS), middle frontal gyrus, and precuneus were more strongly activated when selecting substitutable objects. These findings are concordant with previous neuroimaging studies of tool use knowledge in demonstrating that activation of the MTG represents functional knowledge for conventional tool usage, and activation of the IPL/IPS supports action (i.e., praxic) knowledge representations. These results contribute to the literature that dissociates the roles of ventral and dorsal streams in tool-related knowledge and behavior, and emphasize the role of the left hemisphere for processing goal-directed object interactions.