Cognitive Ontology and Region- versus Network-Oriented Analyses.

The interpretation of functional imaging experiments is complicated by the pluripotency of brain regions. As there is a many-to-one mapping between cognitive functions and their neural substrates, region-based analyses of imaging data provide only weak support for cognitive theories. Price and Frist...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Philosophy of Science Vol. 79; no. 5; pp. 952 - 961
Autor principal: Klein, Colin
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Cambridge University Press Dec2012
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:The interpretation of functional imaging experiments is complicated by the pluripotency of brain regions. As there is a many-to-one mapping between cognitive functions and their neural substrates, region-based analyses of imaging data provide only weak support for cognitive theories. Price and Friston argue that we need a 'cognitive ontology' that abstractly categorizes the function of regions. I argue that abstract characterizations are unlikely to be cognitively interesting. I argue instead that we should attribute functions to regions in a context-sensitive manner. I review recent meta-analyses that approach fMRI data in this light and argue that they have revisionary potential.