title: FMRI correlates of the WAIS-III symbol search subtest.
abstract: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) experiments frequently administer substantially adapted cognitive tests. This study was designed to identify FMRI correlates of a well-standardized clinical measure presented with minor adaptations. We administered the WAIS-III Symbol Search (SS) and a visuospatial control task to fifteen adults during FMRI. SS-related brain activity was identified, followed by analyses of activity related to performance level. Compared to the control task, SS was associated with greater activity in bilateral medial occipital, occipitoparietal, occipitotemporal, parietal, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC). Across both tasks, slower processing speed was also related to greater activity in these areas, except right DLPFC. Greater activity in left DLPFC was specifically related to slower processing speed during SS. Performance was consistent with education levels. Findings suggest that SS performance involves regions associated with executive and visual processing. Furthermore, slower SS performance was related to greater recruitment of left hemisphere regions associated with executive function in other studies.
authors.affiliation: Brown University Medical School, Box G-BH, Providence, RI 02912, USA. Lawrence_Sweet@Brown.edu
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Paskavitz
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Jeffrey N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Browndyke
authors.forename: Jeremy W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wellen
authors.forename: Ronald A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen