{"id":1484,"date":"2018-01-25T02:18:19","date_gmt":"2018-01-25T02:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sciencebeta.com\/laterality-semantic-memory\/"},"modified":"2024-01-06T13:08:41","modified_gmt":"2024-01-06T18:08:41","slug":"laterality-semantic-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sciencebeta.com\/laterality-semantic-memory\/","title":{"rendered":"Left And Right Brain Hemispheres Both Involved In Semantic Memory"},"content":{"rendered":"

The left side of the brain controls the verbal expression of our long-term semantic memory<\/a>, according to a new study led by University of Manchester psychologists.<\/p>\n

The work is the first of its kind to assess the similarities and differences in how the left and right sides of the brain process semantic memory. The team, working with neuropsychologists at Salford Royal and The Walton Centre for neurology in Liverpool, involved 41 patients who had part of their brains removed to treat their long-standing epilepsy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Semantic memory, or conceptual knowledge<\/a>, refers to our knowledge for the meanings of words, objects, people, and emotions. There is growing, convergent evidence that semantic memory is supported by a large, distributed network of regions across the brain including the anterior temporal lobes (ATLs), bilaterally.<\/p>\n

Anterior Temporal Lobe Surgery<\/h2>\n

The patients in the study \u2013 who now experience fewer seizures and are able to go back to work and learn to drive as a result of the surgery \u2014 had their verbal and visual semantic memory tested.<\/p>\n

The surgery removes part of the brain that causes the seizures, but also removes tissue which researchers believe is involved in storing semantic memories. Twenty of the patients had surgery to remove part of the brain, called the anterior temporal lobe<\/a>, on the right side, and 21 had surgery to remove the left anterior temporal lobe.<\/p>\n

To test their verbal semantic memory, the team\u2019s assessments included testing patients\u2019 ability to name pictures and celebrities (including Brad Pitt, Princess Di and the Queen), and their ability to match words in terms of their meaning.<\/p>\n

And to test their visual memory, the patients were asked to identify emotions of people in photographs and say if a face was familiar to them. The test results were compared with 20 more people who did not have any neurological problems.<\/p>\n

Semantic Memory Expression<\/h2>\n

Dr. Grace Rice, from The University of Manchester said:<\/p>\n

\u201cPopularly, there is a lot of interest in whether there are similarities or differences between the left and right sides of the brain. Our research for the first time shows that \u2014 at least for semantic memory<\/a> \u2014 both sides of the brain play an important role in visual and verbal semantic memory.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But there is a significance difference when it comes to verbal expression of this knowledge, which was effected more by surgery to the left side of the brain. Our research provides an important insight both into what effects this particular kind of epilepsy surgery has on behaviour, but also helps us to understand where in the brain memory is stored.”<\/p>\n

The authors note that the findings reflect postsurgical behavioral performance, and no conclusions can be drawn in regards to presurgical performance. Also, whether behavioral performance has improved\/declined as a result of the resection surgery can not be determined.<\/p>\n

The research was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the Medical Research Council.<\/p>\n

Grace E Rice, Helen Caswell, Perry Moore, Paul Hoffman, Matthew A Lambon Ralph
\nThe Roles of Left Versus Right Anterior Temporal Lobes in Semantic Memory: A Neuropsychological Comparison of Postsurgical Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients<\/a>
\nCerebral Cortex, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/cercor\/bhx362<\/p>\n

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