The representation of object concepts in the brain.
Evidence from functional neuroimaging of the human brain indicates that information about salient properties of an object-such as what it looks like, how it moves, and how it is used-is stored in sensory and motor systems active when that information was acquired. As a result, object concepts belonging to different categories like animals and tools are represented in partially distinct, sensory- and motor property-based neural networks. This suggests that object concepts are not explicitly represented, but rather emerge from weighted activity within property-based brain regions. However, some property-based regions seem to show a categorical organization, thus providing evidence consistent with category-based, domain-specific formulations as well.
Martin
Alex
A
Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1366, USA. alexmartin@mail.nih.gov
D000849:Anomia / Q000503:physiopathology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003210:Concept Formation / Q000502:physiology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012660:Semantics; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology