Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Abstract and concrete concepts have structurally different representational frameworks.

Sebastian J Crutch1, Elizabeth K Warrington

  • 1Dementia Research Group, Department of Clinical Neurology, Institute of Neurology, University College, London, UK s.crutch@dementia.ion.ucl.ac.uk

Brain : a Journal of Neurology
|November 19, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Factors Associated With the Use of Digital Health and Well-Being Resources in Non-Memory-Led Dementias: Quantitative Survey Study.

JMIR aging·2026
Same author

Sex differences and gender bias on memory tests in older adults.

Neuropsychology·2026
Same author

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2025
Same author

Clinical Manifestations.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2025
Same author

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2025
Same author

Accelerated forgetting in presymptomatic Alzheimer's: mediation by prefrontal cortical degeneration.

Brain communications·2025
Same journal

SMPD4 deficiency disrupts indirect neurogenesis and neuronal migration in gyrencephalic cortex.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026
Same journal

Retinal hyper-reflective foci link retinal and cortical pathology in paediatric multiple sclerosis.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026
Same journal

Two scripts, two pathways: dorsal-ventral biases in post-stroke kana-kanji agraphia.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026
Same journal

Blood cytotoxic natural killer-like CD8 + CD94+ T cells migrate to the brain and predict multiple sclerosis severity.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026
Same journal

A descending posterior insular pathway drives sensory hypersensitivity in neuropathic pain.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026
Same journal

GIT1 loss of function causes a recognizable syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026
See all related articles

Abstract and concrete word comprehension differ, revealing distinct neural representations. Abstract words form associative networks, unlike concrete words, challenging current conceptual knowledge models.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Neuropsychology

Background:

  • The neural basis of abstract word comprehension is largely unknown.
  • Existing models of semantic knowledge primarily focus on concrete concepts.
  • Neuropsychological, neurolinguistic, and neuroimaging studies have extensively explored concrete word processing.

Observation:

  • Experiments compared abstract and concrete word comprehension in a patient with semantic refractory access dysphasia.
  • Abstract words showed interference between semantically associated terms, while concrete words showed interference between synonyms.

Findings:

  • Abstract and concrete word meanings utilize qualitatively different representational systems.
  • Abstract concepts are processed in an associative neural network, distinct from concrete concepts.

Related Experiment Videos

  • An inverse word frequency effect was observed for abstract words: higher frequency words were harder to identify.

    • Implications:

    • This research challenges the universality of current conceptual knowledge models.
    • Findings suggest distinct neural architectures support abstract versus concrete conceptual representations.
    • Highlights the need for models that account for the unique properties of abstract word processing.