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Does Stroke Imaging Provide Insights into the Neural Basis of Cognition?

  • Neuroimaging (DJ Brooks, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Since the advent of in vivo imaging, first with CT, and then MRI, structural neuroimaging in patients has been widely used as a tool to explore the neural correlates of a wide variety of cognitive functions. Findings from studies using this methodology have formed a core component of current accounts of cognition, but there are a number of problematic issues related to inferring cognitive functions from structural imaging data in stroke and more generally, lesion-based neuropsychology as a whole. This review addresses these concerns in the context of spatial neglect, a common disorder most frequently encountered following right hemisphere stroke. Recent literature, including attempts to address some of these questions, is discussed. Novel approaches and findings from related fields that may help to put stroke-based lesion mapping studies into perspective are reviewed, allowing critical but constructive evaluation of previous work in the field.

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Acknowledgments

Dr Malhotra is funded by a HEFCE Clinical Senior Lectureship and receives support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Imperial Biomedical Research Centre at Imperial College.

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Paresh A. Malhotra and Charlotte Russell declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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  1. Centre for Restorative Neuroscience, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, London, W6 8RF, UK

    Paresh A. Malhotra

  2. Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK

    Charlotte Russell

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Correspondence to Paresh A. Malhotra.

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Malhotra, P.A., Russell, C. Does Stroke Imaging Provide Insights into the Neural Basis of Cognition?. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 15, 56 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-015-0570-0

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