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Localization of cognitive operations in the human brain
M I Posner1, S E Petersen, P T Fox
1Department of Neurology, Washington University Medical Center, St. Louis, MO 63110.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 17, 1988
Summary
The human brain localizes specific mental operations for cognitive tasks like reading. New neural imaging and lesion studies support this, showing how local computations integrate for complex functions.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurobiology
Background:
- Cognitive theories propose that mental operations are localized in the brain.
- Understanding the neural basis of cognitive tasks like reading is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the localization of mental operations in the human brain.
- To integrate findings from neural imaging, lesion studies, and other cognitive domains.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of neural imaging data from word reading tasks.
- Review of studies on normal subjects and patients with brain lesions.
- Synthesis of evidence from research on mental imagery, timing, and memory.
Main Results:
- Evidence supports the hypothesis that specific brain regions perform localized computations for cognitive tasks.
- Integration of local computations is essential for complex cognitive functions such as reading.
- Findings from diverse cognitive domains converge to support the localization hypothesis.
Conclusions:
- The human brain employs localized neural computations for mental operations.
- These localized operations are integrated to perform complex cognitive tasks.
- Neuroimaging and lesion studies provide converging evidence for this model.