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

Distinct brain systems for processing concrete and abstract concepts.

J R Binder1, C F Westbury, K A McKiernan

  • 1Medical College of Wisconsin, USA. jbinder@mcw.edu

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|July 19, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Brain imaging reveals distinct neural networks for processing concrete and abstract words. Concrete words engage bilateral areas, while abstract words primarily activate left-hemisphere regions, offering insights into conceptual knowledge processing.

Related Experiment Videos

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

Bulk and grain boundary Li-diffusion in dense LiMn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>4</sub> pellets by means of isotope exchange and ToF-SIMS analysis.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2019
Same author

Characterization of non-stoichiometric co-sputtered Ba0.6Sr0.4(Ti (1-x)Fe(x))(1+x)O(3-δ) thin films for tunable passive microwave applications.

Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry·2011
Same author

Material characteristics of a novel shrinkage-free ZrSiO(4) ceramic for the fabrication of posterior crowns.

Dental materials : official publication of the Academy of Dental Materials·2006
Same author

Attentional modulation in the detection of irrelevant deviance: a simultaneous ERP/fMRI study.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2006
Same author

Some neurophysiological constraints on models of word naming.

NeuroImage·2005
Same author

Modulation of the semantic system by word imageability.

NeuroImage·2005
Same journal

Sensorimotor Adaptation of Vocal Pitch Is Impaired in Cerebellar Ataxia.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Memory in the Palm of Your Hand: Smartphone-based Methods for Measuring Memory in the Wild.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Processing Asymmetry in Object-modifying Relative Clauses: Evidence from Functional Connectivity.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Extensive Experience Remodels Neural Task Circuitry to Escape the Frontal Bottleneck and Increase Automaticity of Categorization.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Investigating the Effects of Acute Stress on Neural Mechanisms of Self-controlled Decision-making.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Distilling the Neurophenomenological Signatures of Pure Awareness during Transcendental Meditation.

Journal of cognitive neuroscience·2026
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psycholinguistics

Background:

  • Understanding how the brain processes conceptual knowledge is crucial.
  • Word imageability and concreteness are key factors in semantic processing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neural underpinnings of concrete versus abstract word processing.
  • To identify distinct brain regions involved in processing different types of conceptual information.

Main Methods:

  • Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
  • Participants identified concrete words, abstract words, and nonwords.
  • Analysis of brain activation patterns associated with each word type.

Main Results:

  • Both concrete and abstract words activated a left-lateralized semantic network.
  • Concrete words showed greater activation in bilateral angular gyrus and dorsal prefrontal cortex.
  • Abstract words engaged left inferior frontal regions associated with working memory.

Conclusions:

  • Neural systems for concrete and abstract concepts overlap but are partly distinct.
  • Concrete concepts involve bilateral association areas, while abstract concepts rely more on the left hemisphere.
  • Findings elucidate the neurobiological basis of semantic representation.