Grieg - this seems to run into the same problems as reverse inference
with imaging data. again here, the issue is how selective the deficit
is to the particular cognitive process, which requires that patients
with the same lesions have been tested with lots of other tasks.
cheers
russ
On Feb 27, 2006, at 4:49 AM, Greig de Zubicaray wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> Just a quick question for the neuroimaging community.... Having
> read Russ Poldrack's recent paper in TICS on the problems inherent
> in using neuroimaging data to support reverse inference (I agree
> with Russ), I was wondering what the views about lesion and TMS
> data were? Lesion and TMS data are often described as being capable
> of demonstrating causality in cognitive neuroscience studies. So,
> given evidence that a lesion (or disruption) to region X impairs,
> say, phonological processing permanently (or temporarily), can this
> evidence be used to support a reverse inference that region X was
> probably engaged in similar processing during performance of a
> different task with a putative phonological component?
>
> For the record, the question is motivated by reviewer comments that
> quite literally (and oddly) focussed on a discussion of mechanisms
> potentially involved in a task and not directly under investigation
> in one of our studies. Mechanisms we stated clearly that our data
> could not adjudicate between. We cited complementary neuroimaging,
> lesion and TMS data demonstrating the problem of attributing
> attention or memory selectively to the IPL. The reviewers chose to
> focus solely upon the neuroimaging data we cited and its inability
> to support reverse inference. Not one mention of the lesion or TMS
> data.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> regards,
>
> Greig
>
> __
> Dr Greig de Zubicaray
> Senior Research Fellow
> Centre for Magnetic Resonance
> University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia
> Tel: (+617) 3365 4100 (Office)
> (+617) 3365 4250 (B106, Ritchie Building)
> Fax: (+617) 3365 3833
> Staff Page: http://www.cmr.uq.edu.au/CMR_Staff_Zubicaray.htm
> fMRI Lab Page: http://www.cmr.uq.edu.au/Research_Imaging_fMRI.htm
---
Russell A. Poldrack, Ph.d.
Associate Professor
UCLA Department of Psychology
Franz Hall, Box 951563
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563
phone: 310-794-1224
fax: 310-206-5895
email: [log in to unmask]
web: www.poldracklab.org
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