Differences in functional magnetic resonance imaging activation by category in a visual confrontation naming task

Objective. Cortical processing involved in seemingly similar tasks may diff er in important ways. The authors mapped cortical regions engaged in a comm only performed picture naming task, seeking differences by semantic categor y. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used during presentation of st andardized line drawings in 18 healthy right-handed female participants, co mparing living versus nonliving entities. During visual naming, across cate gories there was strong activation of left frontal (BA45/47), bilateral tem poro-occipital junction (BA19), and inferior temporal regions (BA36/37). Ac tivation of right inferior temporal cortex (BA19 and BA37) was greater duri ng naming of living versus nonliving category items. No category difference s in activation strength in the left temporal robe were observed. The autho rs conclude that visual semantic operations may involve visual association cortex in the right temporal lobe in women.