Different types of abstract concepts: evidence from two neurodegenerative patients. Issue 3 (4th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Catricalà, E.; Conca, F.; Borsa, V.M.; Cotelli, M.; Manenti, R.; Gobbi, E.; Binetti, G.; Cotta Ramusino, M.; Perini, G.; Costa, A.; Rusconi, M.L.; Cappa, S.F.
• Is Part Of: Neurocase. Volume 27:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: 270
• Page End: 280
• Publication Date: 2021-05-04
• Subjects: Abstract concepts -- quantity-related concepts -- social concepts -- corticobasal degeneration syndrome -- semantic dementia; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychology -- Case Report; Mental Disorders -- Case Report; Nervous System Diseases -- Case Report; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2021.1931345
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1355-4794

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The observation of neurological patients showing selective impairments for specific conceptual categories contributed in the development of semantic memory theories. Here, we studied two patients (P01, P02), affected, respectively, by the semantic variant of Primary Progressive Aphasia (sv-PPA) and Cortico-Basal Syndrome (CBS). An implicit lexical decision task, including concrete (animals, tools) and abstract (emotions, social, quantity) concepts, was administered to patients and healthy controls.P01 and P02 showed an abolished priming effect for social and quantity-related concepts, respectively. This double dissociation suggests a role of different brain areas in representing specific abstract categories, giving insights for current semantic memory theories.