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Abstract:
We investigate neural correlates of category specific
knowledge by neuroimaging study of recovery process of a patient
suffering from herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE). Detailed
verbal and visual semantic memory battery for 10 categories and
15O2-PET studies were performed 3, 10, and 27 months after onset of
HSVE.
Neuropsychological examination revealed selective semantic memory
impairments for people, man-made foods, and living things 3 months
after onset. However, semantic disorder of living things including
animals and fruits & vegetables gradually improved 10 and 27
months after onset, with leaving disturbances of people and
man-made foods as residual deficits. Oxygen metabolism on 15O2-PET
demonstrated a remarkable improvement in left lateral inferior
temporal region, in parallel with recovery of semantic disorder of
living things.
MRI showed permanent damages in bilateral temporal poles (much
greater on left). This study indicates that category specific
semantic system depends on discrete left temporal regions, living
things on inferior temporal lobe and people and man-made foods on
temporal pole, respectively.
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