The effects of left- versus right-hemisphere lesions on the sensitivity to intra- and interconceptual semantic relationships.
Studies on split-brain, normal and brain-damaged subjects suggest differences in the processing of semantic relationships by the two hemispheres. Various authors have conceived of this distinction in terms of the paradigmatic/syntagmatic dissociation, and the connotative and denotative meanings of words, and as reflecting different types of links between words. Drews has suggested that a left-hemisphere lesion would affect the processing of intraconceptual relationships, while a right-hemisphere lesion would impair the processing of interconceptual relationships. The goal of this study was to test this hypothesis, using a number of intra- and interconceptual semantic relationships. Pairs of common words were submitted to left-hemisphere brain-damaged and right-hemisphere brain-damaged subjects. The task required subjects to indicate whether or not there was any relationship between the words. The results only partially support the hypothesis. The right/left opposition applied to only one of three types of intraconceptual relationships (whole-part relation) and to one of two types of interconceptual relationship (same location relation). This partially unexpected result is discussed in reference to other studies.
Cattedra di Neurologia c/o I.R.C.C.S. 'S. Lucia', Via Ardeatina 306, Rome, Italy.
U
U
Nocentini
P
P
Goulet
P M
PM
Roberts
Y
Y
Joanette
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D003337:Corpus Callosum; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D008875:Middle Aged; D012660:Semantics; D013067:Speech Perception