How does the brain represent the meaning of words? This study investigates the cortical distributions of cell assemblies that form when neurons in different cortical areas are frequently active at the same time, offering a neurobiological perspective on language. It explores how these assemblies, representing words, are distributed across the cortex based on correlated neuronal activity during learning. The author discusses postulates about cortical topographies and activity dynamics of cell assemblies, focusing on various aspects of word meaning. Data from imaging studies and fast activity changes in the brain (EEG and MEG) are used to evaluate these postulates. The research analyzes processing differences between words and pseudowords, and between word classes like concrete content and abstract function words. It also examines words evoking visual or motor associations. Overall, the study supports a Hebbian neurobiological model of language and considers implications for competing large-scale neuronal theories. It offers insights into the problem of serial order of words in syntactic strings, thus providing a foundation for future research on the neural mechanisms underlying language processing.
As a leading journal in behavioral and brain sciences, this paper on words in the brain’s language aligns perfectly with Behavioral and Brain Sciences's focus on interdisciplinary approaches to understanding the mind and behavior. By integrating neurobiological models with cognitive theories of language, the paper contributes significantly to the journal's ongoing discourse on the neural basis of cognitive functions.