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Updated: Jun 1, 2026
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Published on: August 4, 2023
Conceptual representations in mind and brain: theoretical developments, current evidence and future directions.
Markus Kiefer1, Friedemann Pulvermüller
1University of Ulm, Department of Psychiatry, Ulm, Germany. Markus.Kiefer@uni-ulm.de
Summary
Conceptual memory traces are flexible, distributed, and modality-specific, stored in sensory and motor brain areas. Future research should clarify amodal representations and abstract concept grounding.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurobiology of Concepts
Background:
- Conceptual representations in long-term memory are vital for cognition.
- The neural basis and grounding of concepts in sensory-motor systems are debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review theoretical accounts of conceptual memory structure and neural basis.
- To evaluate competing models using empirical evidence.
- To highlight key areas for future research.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of theoretical models of conceptual processing.
- Evaluation of behavioral and neuroimaging studies in healthy and brain-damaged individuals.
Main Results:
- Concepts are flexible, distributed representations composed of modality-specific features.
- Conceptual features are stored in relevant sensory and motor brain regions based on experience.
- Evidence challenges purely amodal or localist models.
Conclusions:
- An embodiment view, with distributed sensory-motor cell assemblies and supramodal integration, offers a framework for understanding concepts.
- Further research is needed on amodal representations in the anterior temporal lobe, the causal role of sensory-motor activation, and abstract concept grounding.
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