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The contribution of the left inferior prefrontal cortex in semantic processing has been widely investigated in the last decade. Converging evidence from functional imaging studies shows that this region is involved in the "executive" or "controlled" aspects of semantic processing. In this study, we report a single case study of a patient, PW, with damage to the right prefrontal and temporal cortices following stroke. PW showed a problem in executive control of semantic processing, where he could not easily override automatic but irrelevant semantic processing. This case, thus, shows the necessary role of the right inferior prefrontal cortex in executive semantic processing. Compared to tasks previously used in the literature, our tasks placed higher demands on executive semantic processing. We suggest that the right inferior prefrontal cortex is recruited when the demands on executive semantic processing are particularly high.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.08.023

Type

Journal article

Journal

Neuropsychologia

Publication Date

14/03/2007

Volume

45

Pages

896 - 904

Keywords

Aged, Attention, Brain Damage, Chronic, Emotions, Field Dependence-Independence, Functional Laterality, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Mental Processes, Neuropsychological Tests, Prefrontal Cortex, Semantics, Stroke, Temporal Lobe, Verbal Behavior, Word Association Tests