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The neural correlate of very‐long‐term picture priming
Author(s) -
Meister Ingo G.,
Weidemann Jürgen,
Foltys Henrik,
Brand Henning,
Willmes Klaus,
Krings Timo,
Thron Armin,
Töpper Rudolf,
Boroojerdi Babak
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.03941.x
Subject(s) - functional magnetic resonance imaging , neuroscience , psychology , priming (agriculture) , repetition priming , stimulus (psychology) , frontal cortex , extrastriate cortex , visual cortex , cognitive psychology , cognition , biology , lexical decision task , botany , germination
Repetition priming denotes a behavioural change caused by prior exposure to a stimulus. The effect is known to last for weeks. This study addresses the underlying neural mechanisms for very‐long‐term picture priming by using event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging complemented by a behavioural paradigm. Previous functional imaging studies with shorter retention intervals have shown that priming is associated with changes in the activity of both the occipital and posterior temporal cortex. In this study we compared retention intervals of 1 day and 6 weeks after initial exposure to a picture stimulus. Priming‐related decreases in cortical activity in posterior extrastriate and dorsal left inferior frontal areas were found only for the shorter retention interval. In contrast, fMRI activation in the inferior posterior temporal and anterior left inferior frontal cortex was reduced following priming for both retention intervals. In the behavioural paradigm, the priming effect was stable over time. We conclude that the left inferior frontal and inferior posterior temporal cortex play a key role in the very‐long‐term priming effect.