Open AccessComparison of the neural basis for imagined writing and drawing
Author(s) -
Harrington Greg S.,
Farias Dana,
Davis Christine H.,
Buonocore Michael H.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.20286
Subject(s) - psychology , aphasia , lateralization of brain function , perception , cognitive psychology , broca's area , premotor cortex , object (grammar) , hum , functional magnetic resonance imaging , cognition , brain activity and meditation , linguistics , neuroscience , electroencephalography , anatomy , art , medicine , philosophy , dorsum , performance art , art history
Drawing and writing are complex processes that require the synchronization of cognition, language, and perceptual‐motor skills. Drawing and writing have both been utilized in the treatment of aphasia to improve communication. Recent research suggests that the act of drawing an object facilitated naming, whereas writing the word diminished accurate naming in individuals with aphasia. However, the relationship between object drawing and subsequent phonological output is unclear. Although the right hemisphere is characteristically mute, there is evidence from split‐brain research that the right hemisphere can integrate pictures and words, likely via a semantic network. We hypothesized that drawing activates right hemispheric and left perilesional regions that are spared in aphasic individuals and may contribute to semantic activation that supports naming. Eleven right‐handed subjects participated in a functional MRI (fMRI) experiment involving imagined drawing and writing and 6 of the 11 subjects participated in a second fMRI experiment involving actual writing and drawing. Drawing and writing produced very similar group activation maps including activation bilaterally in the premotor, inferior frontal, posterior inferior temporal, and parietal areas. The comparison of drawing vs. writing revealed significant differences between the conditions in areas of the brain known for language processing. The direct comparison between drawing and writing revealed greater right hemisphere activation for drawing in language areas such as Brodmann area (BA) 46 and BA 37. Hum. Brain Mapp, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.