The DOI matches its Crossref record; 439 of the 439 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Where Is the Semantic System? A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis of 120 Functional Neuroimaging Studies
Open accessAbstract
Semantic memory refers to knowledge about people, objects, actions, relations, self, and culture acquired through experience. The neural systems that store and retrieve this information have been studied for many years, but a consensus regarding their identity has not been reached. Using strict inclusion criteria, we analyzed 120 functional neuroimaging studies focusing on semantic processing. Reliable areas of activation in these studies were identified using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) technique. These activations formed a distinct, left-lateralized network comprised of 7 regions: posterior inferior parietal lobe, middle temporal gyrus, fusiform and parahippocampal gyri, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and posterior cingulate gyrus. Secondary analyses showed specific subregions of this network associated with knowledge of actions, manipulable artifacts, abstract concepts, and concrete concepts. The cortical regions involved in semantic processing can be grouped into 3 broad categories: posterior multimodal and heteromodal association cortex, heteromodal prefrontal cortex, and medial limbic regions. The expansion of these regions in the human relative to the nonhuman primate brain may explain uniquely human capacities to use language productively, plan, solve problems, and create cultural and technological artifacts, all of which depend on the fluid and efficient retrieval and manipulation of semantic knowledge.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The cited source doesn’t support the claim as written.
In the citing paper
“Finally, the dmPFC is hypothesized to support abstracting affective meaning of stimuli or the processes of self-reflecting and identifying one’s own affective reactions to stimuli [121, 126–130].”
From Prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and threat processing: implications for PTSD (2022) · cites this paper as [127]
Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Second, the location of the DMN as equidistant from all sensory/motor systems is aligned with its broad range of functions that require integration between multiple sensory systems, including episodic [51] and semantic memory [52-54], social cognition [55, 56], goal-directed working memory tasks [26, 32, 33, 35] and reward-guided decision making [57, 58].”
From Situating the default-mode network along a principal gradient of macroscale cortical organization (2016) · cites this paper as [52]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“DMN nodes in the lateral temporal and lateral parietal cortices are consistently implicated in language comprehension and semantic processing.”
From 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis. (2023) · cites this paper as [55]
The cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Meta-analyses have confirmed significant overlap between the DMN and language and semantic processing systems.”
From 20 years of the default mode network: A review and synthesis. (2023) · cites this paper as [55]
In the citing paper
“Accordingly, movie-viewing to spoken-recall pattern correlations were not found in low-level sensory areas, but instead were located in high-level DMN areas, which have been previously found to encode amodal abstract information (Binder et al. 2009; Honey et al. 2012; Regev et al. 2013).”
From How We Transmit Memories to Other Brains: Constructing Shared Neural Representations Via Communication (2017) · cites this paper as Binder et al. 2009
In the citing paper
“However, it is difficult (if not impossible) to determine whether any one detail is represented perceptually or conceptually on the basis of verbal descriptions alone, and neuroimaging profiles have not (as of yet) resolved the issue given that episodic and semantic memory engage overlapping DMN regions (Binder, Desai, Graves, & Conant, 2009;Burianova & Grady, 2007).”
From Mental Time Travel? A Neurocognitive Model of Event Simulation. (2020) · cites this paper as Binder, Desai, Graves, & Conant, 2009
In the citing paper
“This position is supported by recent evidence, which showed that a network of regions in the left temporal and parietal heteromodal cortex activates when healthy individuals engage in internal mentation such as episodic and autobiographical retrieval, prospection and planning, creativity and problem-solving (Buckner et al., 2008), as well as semantic processing (Binder et al., 2009).”
From Considering the role of semantic memory in episodic future thinking: evidence from semantic dementia (2012) · cites this paper as Binder et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“If semantic memory forms a critical component of past episodic retrieval (Levine, 2004;Greenberg and Verfaellie, 2010), and underlies much of internally driven cognition (Binder et al., 2009), it follows that the construction and elaboration of fictitious scenes, and personal future events, should also draw on semantic knowledge (Irish et al., 2012).”
From Considering the role of semantic memory in episodic future thinking: evidence from semantic dementia (2012) · cites this paper as Binder et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“The SORT not only activates brain regions involved in semantic memory recall, which include bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (including Broca's area), left DLPFC, left middle temporal gyrus, bilateral angular gyrus, and PCC [Assaf et al., 2006;Binder et al., 2009], but also activates salience-related regions, including dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), pre-SMA [Assaf et al., 2006] and”
From Specific default mode subnetworks support mentalizing as revealed through opposing network recruitment by social and semantic FMRI tasks: Mentalizing and Default-Mode Subnetworks (2015) · cites this paper as Binder et al., 2009
In the citing paper
“In particular, autobiographical memory supplies numerous building blocks of social semantic knowledge (Bar 2007; Binder et al. 2009).”
From Parsing the neural correlates of moral cognition: ALE meta-analysis on morality, theory of mind, and empathy (2012) · cites this paper as Binder et al. 2009
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
Items 401–439 of 439
Overcoming Confounds of Stimulus Blocking: An Event-Related fMRI Design of Semantic Processing
Pilgrim, L. K., Fadili, J. M., Fletcher, P. C., & TYLER, L. K. (2002) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1006/nimg.2002.1105 · Cited by 51
Multisensory Convergence in Early Cortical Processing
Schroeder, C. E., & Foxe, J. J. (2004) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/3422.003.0023 · Cited by 50
Retrograde amnesia in a patient with retrosplenial tumour
Gainotti, G., Almonti, S., Betta, A. M. D., & Silveri, M. C. (1998) · Neurocase · doi:10.1080/13554799808410644 · Cited by 50
Leichnetz, G. R. (1980) · Neuroscience Letters · doi:10.1016/0304-3940(80)90313-4 · Cited by 48
Temporally Graded Activation of Neocortical Regions in Response to Memories of Different Ages
Woodard, J. L., Seidenberg, M., Nielson, K. A., Miller, S. K., Franczak, M. B., Antuono, P., Douville, K. L., & Rao, S. M. (2007) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn.2007.19.7.1113 · Cited by 48
Common and Contrasting Areas of Activation for Abstract and Concrete Concepts: An H2 15O PET Study
Whatmough, C. E., Verret, L., Fung, D., & Chertkow, H. M. (2004) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/0898929041920540 · Cited by 46
Verbal Encoding Deficits in a Patient with a Left Retrosplenial Lesion
McDonald, C. R., Crosson, B., Valenstein, E., & Bowers, D. (2001) · Neurocase · doi:10.1076/neur.7.5.407.16250 · Cited by 46
Yasuda, K., Watanabe, O., & Ono, Y. (1997) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70721-4 · Cited by 45
Dissociated roles of the middle frontal gyri in the processing of Chinese characters
Liu, C.-L., Hue, C., Chen, C., et al. (2006) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/01.wnr.0000233090.00463.35 · Cited by 45
Heilman, K. M., Bowers, D., Watson, R. T., Day, A., Valenstein, E., Hammond, E., & Duara, R. (1990) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/0028-3932(90)90098-9 · Cited by 44
Ebisch, S. J. H., Babiloni, C., Gratta, C. D., Ferretti, A., Perrucci, M. G., Caulo, M., Sitskoorn, M. M., & Romani, G. L. (2007) · Cerebral Cortex · doi:10.1093/cercor/bhm001 · Cited by 44
Motor brain regions are involved in the encoding of delayed intentions: a fMRI study.
Eschen, A., Freeman, J. E., Dietrich, T., Martin, M., Ellis, J. A., Martin, E., & Kliegel, M. (2007) · International Journal of Psychophysiology · doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2006.09.005 · Cited by 43
James, W. (2005) · doi:10.1037/10814-002 · Cited by 43
Mitchell, R. L. C. (2005) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2005.04.001 · Cited by 42
The evolution of the human brain
von Bonin, G. (1963) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 41
Effects of word imageability on semantic access: neuroimaging studies
Binder, J. R. (2007) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511544965.007 · Cited by 38
Self-citationGates, L., & Yoon, M. G. (2004) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2004.08.020 · Cited by 36
Structural similarity and category-specificity: a refined account
Gerlach, C., Law, I. G., & Paulson, O. B. (2004) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2004.03.004 · Cited by 35
When Ottoman is Easier than Chair: An Inverse Frequency Effect in Jargon Aphasia
Marshall, J., Pring, T., Chiat, S., et al. (2001) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70556-2 · Cited by 35
The flowering of the British school of neurology
Horwitz, N. H. (1998) · Neurosurgery · doi:10.1097/00006123-199804000-00158 · Cited by 32
Impaired Picture Recognition with Preserved Object Naming and Reading
Davidoff, J. B., & DeBleser, R. (1994) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1006/brcg.1994.1001 · Cited by 31
Locus of Lesion in Impaired Pantomime Recognition
Varney, N. R., & Damásio, H. (1987) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/s0010-9452(87)80061-8 · Cited by 30
Transcortical sensory aphasia following left frontal infarction
Otsuki, M., Soma, Y., Koyama, A., Yoshimura, N., Furukawa, H., & Tsuji, S. (1998) · Journal of Neurology · doi:10.1007/s004150050180 · Cited by 29
The influence of emotional meaning on the recall of words processed for form or self-reference
Bock, M. (1986) · Psychological Research · doi:10.1007/bf00309324 · Cited by 28
Lehmann, C. U., Vannini, P., Wahlund, L., et al. (2006) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.12.064 · Cited by 24
Henschen, S. E. (1918) · Acta Oto-Laryngologica · doi:10.3109/00016481809122009 · Cited by 23
Perception: A Model Comprising Two Modes of Consciousness
Aurell, C. G. (1979) · Perceptual and Motor Skills · doi:10.2466/pms.1979.49.2.431 · Cited by 19
Simmons, A. N., Miller, D. A., Feinstein, J. S., Goldberg, T. E., & Paulus, M. P. (2005) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2005.05.029 · Cited by 18
[A case of cerebral infarction presenting as retrosplenial amnesia].
Katai, S., Maruyama, T., Hashimoto, T., & Yanagisawa, N. (1992) · PubMed · Cited by 16
Wernicke Aphasia: A Disorder of Central Language Processing
Binder, J. R. (2002) · The MIT Press eBooks · doi:10.7551/mitpress/4948.003.0010 · Cited by 16
Self-citationKounios, J., Koenig, P. L., Glosser, G., DeVita, C., Dennis, K., Moore, P., & Grossman, M. (2003) · Cognitive Brain Research · doi:10.1016/s0926-6410(03)00164-2 · Cited by 16
[A case of retrosplenial amnesia].
Takayama, Y., Kamo, H., Ohkawa, Y., Akiguchi, I., & Kimura, J. (1991) · PubMed · Cited by 15
Functional imaging studies of category specificity
Friston, C. J. P. A. K. J. (2005) · Psychology Press eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203990292-56 · Cited by 15
The Neural Basis of Perceptual and Conceptual Word Priming – a Pet Study
Yasuno, F., NISHIKAWA, T., TOKUNAGA, H., et al. (2000) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70836-0 · Cited by 12
Transcortical Sensory Aphasia following Infarction in the Left Frontal Lobe
Maeshima, S., Osawa, A., Nakayama, Y., et al. (2004) · European Neurology · doi:10.1159/000080273 · Cited by 11
Case report Transcortical sensory aphasia due to a left frontal subcortical haemorrhage
Shinichiro Maeshima, T. K. (1999) · Brain Injury · doi:10.1080/026990599121124 · Cited by 11
Transcortical Sensory Aphasia as a Result of Left Frontal Cortical-Subcortical Infarction
Sethi, N., Burke, L., Torgovnick, J., et al. (2006) · European Neurology · doi:10.1159/000097012 · Cited by 10
Laine, M., Rinne, J. O., Hiltunen, J., et al. (2002) · Cognitive Brain Research · doi:10.1016/s0926-6410(01)00095-7 · Cited by 10
Herbster (1997) · doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-0193(1997)5:2
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 12
- Broca, 1861, Remarques sur le siège de la faculté du langage articulé; suivies d'une observation d'aphemie, Bull Soc Anat Paris, 6, 330
- Brodmann, 1994, Localisation in the cerebral cortex
- Coltheart, 1980, Deep dyslexia
- Damasio, 1981, Cerebral localization of the aphasias, 27
- Marr, 1982, Vision
- Martin, 2000, Category-specificity and the brain: the sensory-motor model of semantic representations of objects, 1023
- Mesulam, 1985, Patterns in behavioral neuroanatomy: association areas, the limbic system, and hemispheric specialization, 1
- Neisser, 1967, Cognitive psychology
- Rapcsak, 1994, Localization of lesions in transcortical aphasia, 297
- Sarkissov, 1955, Atlas of the cytoarchitectonics of the human cerebral cortex
- Vogt, 1919, Allgemeinere Erg ebrisse unserer Hirnforschung, J Psychol Neurol, 25, 279
- Warrington, 1985, Agnosia: the impairment of object recognition, 333
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Saliency, switching, attention and control: a network model of insula function
Menon, V., & Uddin, L. Q. (2010) · Brain Structure and Function · doi:10.1007/s00429-010-0262-0 · Cited by 5,592
Large-scale brain networks and psychopathology: a unifying triple network model
Menon, V. (2011) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2011.08.003 · Cited by 4,168
Functional-anatomic fractionation of the brain’s default network
Andrews-Hanna, J. R., Reidler, J. S., Sepulcre, J., Poulin, R., & Buckner, R. L. (2010) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2010.02.005 · Cited by 2,767
Situating the default-mode network along a principal gradient of macroscale cortical organization
Margulies, D. S., Ghosh, S. S., Goulas, A., Falkiewicz, M., Huntenburg, J. M., Langs, G., Bezgin, G., Eickhoff, S. B., Castellanos, F. X., Petrides, M., et al. (2016) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1608282113 · Cited by 2,321
Large-scale brain networks in cognition: emerging methods and principles
Bressler, S. L., & Menon, V. (2010) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2010.04.004 · Cited by 2,348
Metadata
- Authors
- Binder, J. R., Desai, R. H., Graves, W. W., & Conant, L. L.
- Affiliations
- Medical College of Wisconsin (US)
- Venue
- Cerebral Cortex
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2009-03-27
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 2767-2796
- ISSN
- 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2199
- PMC
- PMC2774390
- OpenAlex
- W2112891119
- Semantic Scholar
- f6865ed39f0fc55b43c5d6b93e8ca597a21a9ccb
- Cited by
- 4,060
- References
- 439
- Citations by year
- 2026: 208 · 2025: 280 · 2024: 226 · 2023: 244 · 2022: 331 · 2021: 270 · 2020: 359 · 2019: 288 · 2018: 239 · 2017: 268 · 2016: 257 · 2015: 269 · 2014: 206 · 2013: 211 · 2012: 172
- FWCI
- 9.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Scholar Commons (University of South Carolina) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Mental Health (T32MH019992)
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R03DC008416, R01DC006287)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS033576, R01NS035929)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (F32HD056767)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Reading and Literacy Development
- Keywords
- semantic memory, semantic processing, semantic system, artificial neural networks, middle temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, action knowledge, abstract concepts, concrete concepts, human evolution, primate brain, language, prefrontal cortex, association cortex
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Brain Mapping, Cognition, Humans, Memory, Models, Neurological, Nerve Net, Neuroradiography, Semantics
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
