Psychological structure and neural correlates of event knowledge

Cereb Cortex. 2005 Aug;15(8):1155-61. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhh215. Epub 2004 Nov 24.

Abstract

Humans are capable of storing and retrieving sequences of complex structured events. Here we report a study in which we establish the psychological structure of event knowledge and then use parametric event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to identify its neural correlates. We demonstrate that event knowledge is organized along dissociable dimensions that are reflected in distinctive patterns of neural activation: social valence (amygdala and right orbitofrontal cortex), experience (medial prefrontal cortex) and engagement (left orbitofrontal cortex). Our study affirms the importance and uniqueness of the human prefrontal cortex in representing event knowledge.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological / physiology*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Brain Mapping / methods
  • Evoked Potentials / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prefrontal Cortex / physiology*
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Social Environment*