Functional Substrates of the Pyramid and Palm Trees Test (PPTT): An fMRI Study
Poster No:
1880
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Swati Jain1, Stephen Price2, Emmanuel Stamatakis2
Institutions:
1University Of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, 2University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Semantic processing is of utmost importance of accessing acquired knowledge and applying it to problem solving to make sense of the world. Whilst the classical language model can address the pathophysiology in patients who present with aphasia, it is unable to explain when patients commit semantic errors. Pyramids and Palm Trees Test (PPTT) was the first non-verbal test designed by Howard and Patterson in 1992 to assess an individual's capacity to process detailed semantic information about words and objects. In this study, we evaluated the functional substrates of the non-verbal semantic network using the pyramids and palm trees test. This study also evaluates the degree of overlap between the task-based activity maps and functional connectivity maps at rest of this network.
Methods:
15 healthy participants were recruited prospectively for this study. After completion of anatomical and resting state fMRI, the PPPT task was performed. During an event, the participant is shown 3 pictures arranged in the form of a triangle, with pictures labelled as 1 and 2 at the inferior border of the triangle. The participant is asked to choose 1 or 2 on the button-box depending on which picture they think is closest to the picture at the vertex of the triangle. Once the participant presses the button, the screen moves to a control event where scrambled pictures are shown. The participant is asked to press 1 or 2 on the clicker based on the choice they made in the event. This is followed by fixation cross block, during which a black cross on white background is shown for 5 seconds. All images were acquired with a voxel size of 3.0x3.0x3.0 mm, TR 2000 ms and TE 30.0 ms. Pre-processed functional images for each participant were entered within a first-level general linear model (GLM) framework. ROIs at regions of maximal activation were defined at the group level using the MATLAB toolbox MarsBar. Using the ROIs from the task-based fMRI, seed-based connectivity maps were generated for resting state fMRI.
Results:
The cohort comprised of 6 females, and 9 males with a mean age of 28.2 ± 5.6 years. All volunteers were right-handed with their 1st language being English, 9 being bilingual. The average time taken to respond to each event of interest stimulus was 1.76 ± 0.35 seconds, for each control stimulus was 1.56 ± 0.36 seconds.
Across all subjects the common areas of activation (barring the laterality) include the fusiform gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus (opercularis, triangularis), superior parietal lobule and precentral gyrus. There was generally bilateral representation of the nonverbal semantic network in each subject. Apart from 1 aberrant cluster located in cerebellum, the 10 significant clusters were located in left parahippocampal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, right inferior temporal gyrus, left thalamus, left precentral gyrus, left middle and superior occipital gyrus including aspects of the angular gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus also involving the right angular gyrus, and finally right putamen (Figure 1).
Seed based connectivity from resting state fMRI resulted in overlaps with the task-based fMRI (Figure 2). The areas of overlap between the two analyses were in the right superior frontal gyrus, right pre-frontal gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus (lateral cortex), inferior frontal gyrus on left (pars opercularis), left superior occipital cortex (lateral), left thalamus, right putamen, bilateral temporo-occipital fusiform gyrus, bilateral lingual gyrus, and bilateral parahippocampal gyrus.
Across all subjects the common areas of activation (barring the laterality) include the fusiform gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus (opercularis, triangularis), superior parietal lobule and precentral gyrus. There was generally bilateral representation of the nonverbal semantic network in each subject. Apart from 1 aberrant cluster located in cerebellum, the 10 significant clusters were located in left parahippocampal gyrus, left fusiform gyrus, right inferior temporal gyrus, left thalamus, left precentral gyrus, left middle and superior occipital gyrus including aspects of the angular gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus also involving the right angular gyrus, and finally right putamen (Figure 1).
Seed based connectivity from resting state fMRI resulted in overlaps with the task-based fMRI (Figure 2). The areas of overlap between the two analyses were in the right superior frontal gyrus, right pre-frontal gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus (lateral cortex), inferior frontal gyrus on left (pars opercularis), left superior occipital cortex (lateral), left thalamus, right putamen, bilateral temporo-occipital fusiform gyrus, bilateral lingual gyrus, and bilateral parahippocampal gyrus.
·Figure 1 Group Level Analysis across the 15 subjects showing the underlying non verbal semantic network
·Figure 2 Overlap between resting state functional connectivity (red) and task-activated network (green)
Conclusions:
PPTT is a feasible test to understand the underlying semantic network. The activation areas during the task performance show intrinsic connectivity at resting state, providing insights into an underlying semantic network at rest which is recruited when performing tasks requiring semantic processing.
Higher Cognitive Functions:
Executive Function, Cognitive Control and Decision Making
Language:
Language Comprehension and Semantics 2
Novel Imaging Acquisition Methods:
BOLD fMRI 1
Keywords:
FUNCTIONAL MRI
Language
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Abstract Information
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Please indicate below if your study was a "resting state" or "task-activation” study.
Healthy subjects only or patients (note that patient studies may also involve healthy subjects):
Was this research conducted in the United States?
Were any human subjects research approved by the relevant Institutional Review Board or ethics panel? NOTE: Any human subjects studies without IRB approval will be automatically rejected.
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Provide references using APA citation style.
Howard D, Patterson KE, Company TVT (1992) The Pyramids and Palm Trees Test: A Test of Semantic Access from Words and Pictures. Thames Valley Test Company,
McGeown WJ, Shanks MF, Forbes-McKay KE, Venneri A (2009) Patterns of brain activity during a semantic task differentiate normal aging from early Alzheimer's disease. Psychiatry Res 173:218-227. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2008.10.005