title: An early stage of conceptual combination: Superimposition of constituent concepts in left anterolateral temporal lobe.
abstract: Conceptual combination is an essential cognitive process, yet little is known about its neural correlates. In the present study, a categorization task was used to evoke patterns of neural activation for complex concepts (e.g., young man) as well as their constituents (e.g., young, man). A functional region of interest (fROI) within left anterolateral temporal lobe was identified as a possible site of conceptual combination. In this region, the superimposition of activity for constituent concepts reliably predicted the activation pattern for the complex concept built from those constituents.
authors.affiliation: a Princeton University , Princeton , NJ , USA.
authors.forename: Sean G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Thompson-Schill
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Osherson