The study investigates the neural correlates of category-specific knowledge by examining the brain regions activated during the naming of animals and tools. Using positron emission tomography (PET), the researchers found that naming animals and tools activated different regions of the brain. Naming animals primarily activated the bilateral ventral temporal lobes and Broca's area, with additional activation in the left medial occipital lobe, which is involved in early visual processing. In contrast, naming tools activated a left premotor area and an area in the left middle temporal gyrus, both of which are also activated by imagined hand movements and the generation of action words, respectively. These findings suggest that the brain regions active during object identification are influenced by the intrinsic properties of the objects being named. The study also highlights the importance of the left middle temporal gyrus and left premotor cortex in storing knowledge about object motion and use, respectively. These results provide insights into the neural basis of category-specific deficits observed in brain-damaged patients.The study investigates the neural correlates of category-specific knowledge by examining the brain regions activated during the naming of animals and tools. Using positron emission tomography (PET), the researchers found that naming animals and tools activated different regions of the brain. Naming animals primarily activated the bilateral ventral temporal lobes and Broca's area, with additional activation in the left medial occipital lobe, which is involved in early visual processing. In contrast, naming tools activated a left premotor area and an area in the left middle temporal gyrus, both of which are also activated by imagined hand movements and the generation of action words, respectively. These findings suggest that the brain regions active during object identification are influenced by the intrinsic properties of the objects being named. The study also highlights the importance of the left middle temporal gyrus and left premotor cortex in storing knowledge about object motion and use, respectively. These results provide insights into the neural basis of category-specific deficits observed in brain-damaged patients.