Regional brain activations differ for semantic features but not categories.

Journal article

Is human semantic knowledge neurally organised according to either category (e.g. living non-living) or attribute type (e.g. perceptual non-perceptual information)? Normal subjects were scanned using PET during a novel semantic production task, in which they generated either perceptual or non-perceptual information in response to names of living or non-living concepts. Analyses of blood flow in the temporal lobes revealed no significant differences associated with responses to living non-living concepts. Comparisons between retrieval of perceptual non-perceptual information, however, revealed significantly greater blood flow in left posterior inferior temporal cortex and right fusiform cortex associated with perceptual information and in left middle temporal cortex with non-perceptual information. These findings support a primarily attribute-based neural organisation of semantic knowledge.

Authors: Lee, A; Graham, K; Simons, J; Hodges, JR; Owen, A

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Neuroreport
• Volume: 13
• Issue: 12
• Pages: 1497-1501
• Publication date: 2002-08-01
• DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200208270-00002
• EISSN: 1473-558X
• ISSN: 0959-4965
• Language: English
• Keywords: Female; Humans; Tomography, Emission-Computed; Semantics; Temporal Lobe; Perception; Adult; Male; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Aged; Middle Aged