The Neural Correlates of Semantic Control Revisited

Semantic control, the ability to selectively access and manipulate meaningful information on the basis of context demands, is a critical component of semantic cognition. The precise neural correlates of semantic control are disputed, with particular debate surrounding parietal involvement, the spatial extent of the posterior temporal contribution and network lateralisation. Here semantic control is revisited, utilising improved analysis techniques and a decade of additional data to refine our understanding of the network. A meta-analysis of 876 peaks over 121 contrasts illuminated a left-focused network consisting of inferior frontal gyrus, posterior middle temporal gyrus, posterior inferior temporal gyrus and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. This extended the temporal region implicated, and found no parietal involvement. Although left-lateralised overall, relative lateralisation varied across the implicated regions. Supporting analyses confirmed the multimodal nature of the semantic control network and situated it within the wider set of regions implicated in semantic cognition. Highlights ➢ A multimodal semantic control network was delineated with formal meta-analyses ➢ Semantic control recruits inferior and medial frontal and posterior temporal cortex ➢ A large extent of posterior temporal cortex was implicated and no parietal regions ➢ Semantic control is left-lateralised but regions show differential lateralisation ➢ The semantic control regions were situated in the context of the wider semantic network