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Priming refers to a change in the ability to identify or produce an item as a result of a specific prior encounter with this item or a similar item. According to the nature of processed stimuli representations, two forms of priming are distinguished : perceptual and conceptual (or semantic) priming. The modular approach of memory postulates that these priming forms depend on different brain systems. Functional brain imaging represents a new way of testing this concept. This article presents the results of studies that have used positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRl) to explore synoptic activity, and the electrophysiological techniques, such as event-related potentials (ERP). Emphasis is placed on the contribution of these studies to specify the psychological and functional characteristics of priming, as well as on their convergence with experimental psychology and neuropsychological studies.
