Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
2004-12-28
pubmed:abstractText
We examined the role of motor affordances of objects for working memory retention processes. Three experiments are reported in which participants passively viewed pictures of real world objects or had to retain the objects in working memory for a comparison with an S2 stimulus. Brain activation was recorded by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Retaining information about objects for which hand actions could easily be retrieved (manipulable objects) in working memory activated the hand region of the ventral premotor cortex (PMC) contralateral to the dominant hand. Conversely, nonmanipulable objects activated the left inferior frontal gyrus. This suggests that working memory for objects with motor affordance is based on motor programs associated with their use. An additional study revealed that motor program activation can be modulated by task demands: Holding manipulable objects in working memory for an upcoming motor comparison task was associated with left ventral PMC activation. However, retaining the same objects for a subsequent size comparison task led to activation in posterior brain regions. This suggests that the activation of hand motor programs are under top down control. By this they can flexibly be adapted to various task demands. It is argued that hand motor programs may serve a similar working memory function as speech motor programs for verbalizable working memory contents, and that the premotor system mediates the temporal integration of motor representations with other task-relevant representations in support of goal oriented behavior.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
1618-3169
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
51
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
258-69
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2004
pubmed:articleTitle
Motor affordance and its role for visual working memory: evidence from fMRI studies.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Psychology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany. mecklinger@mx.uni-saarland.de
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't