Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2025

Modeling the Functional Network for Spatial Navigation in the Human Brain
Published on: October 13, 2023
How the intrinsic functional connectivity patterns of the semantic network support semantic processing
Chengmei Huang1,2,3, Aqian Li1,2,3, Yingdan Pang1,2,3
1Philosophy and Social Science Laboratory of Reading and Development in Children and Adolescents (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
Abstract:
Semantic processing, a core of language comprehension, involves the activation of brain regions dispersed extensively across the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices that compose the semantic network. To comprehend the functional structure of this semantic network and how it prepares for semantic processing, we investigated its intrinsic functional connectivity (FC) and the relation between this pattern and semantic processing ability in a large sample from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) dataset. We first defined a well-studied brain network for semantic processing, and then we characterized the within-network connectivity (WNC) and the between-network connectivity (BNC) within this network using a voxel-based global brain connectivity (GBC) method based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results showed that 97.73% of the voxels in the semantic network displayed considerably greater WNC than BNC, demonstrating that the semantic network is a fairly encapsulated network. Moreover, multiple connector hubs in the semantic network were identified after applying the criterion of WNC > 1 SD above the mean WNC of the semantic network. More importantly, three of these connector hubs (i.e., the left anterior temporal lobe, angular gyrus, and orbital part of the inferior frontal gyrus) were reliably associated with semantic processing ability. Our findings suggest that the three identified regions use WNC as the central mechanism for supporting semantic processing and that task-independent spontaneous connectivity in the semantic network is essential for semantic processing.
Related Concept Videos
Functional Brain Systems: Limbic System
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Neural Circuits
Neuronal pools are collections of nerve cells with similar functions and interact through chemical and electrical signals. These pools include both interneurons (the central neural circuit nodes that...
Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
Integration of Synaptic Events

