title: Associative hallucinations result from stimulating left ventromedial temporal cortex.
abstract: Visual recognition requires connecting perceptual information with contextual information and existing knowledge. The ventromedial temporal cortex (VTC), including the medial fusiform, has been linked with object recognition, paired associate learning, contextual processing, and episodic memory, suggesting that this area may be critical in connecting visual processing, context, knowledge and experience. However, evidence for the link between associative processing, episodic memory, and visual recognition in VTC is currently lacking. Using electrocorticography (ECoG) in a single human patient, medial regions of the left VTC were found to be sensitive to the contextual associations of objects. Electrical brain stimulation (EBS) of this part of the left VTC of the patient, functionally defined as sensitive to associative processing, caused memory related, associative experiential visual phenomena. This provides evidence of a relationship between visual recognition, associative processing, and episodic memory. These results suggest a potential role for abnormalities of these processes as part of a mechanism that gives rise to some visual hallucinations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: eaminoff@cmu.edu.
authors.forename: Elissa M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Aminoff
authors.affiliation: Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Program in Neural Computation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Yuanning
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pyles
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: R Mark
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Program in Neural Computation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Avniel S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ghuman
mesh_terms: D004558:Electric Stimulation; D000069280:Electrocorticography; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Associative processing; Electrical brain stimulation; Electrocorticography; Fusiform; Visual recognition