US scientists create map to show how human brain reacts to different words


Semantic map of human brain
Semantic map of human brain

Scientists at University of California, Berkeley, have created a thesaurus-like 'semantic map' of the human brain.

The semantic map shows how different parts of the brain react to different words.

Here are a few points you must know:

  • The team of researchers tested the theory of cerebral semantic reactions on different individuals and the result did not differ much even in minor details
  • The research shows the intricate details of how many meanings of different words are represented in a group of brain regions known as the semantic system
  • The semantic system is a network spread on the outer layer of the brain that reacts to words
  • With this discovery, the researchers would be able help people suffering from stroke, brain damage or motor neuron diseases
  • They have also collected data on the changes of blood flow and oxygenation, which are the two indicators of activity in the human body, in the cerebral cortex
  • The map shows that there are more than 100 distinct areas across both the hemispheres of the human brain that hold the intricate design of the semantic system
  • The scientists have published the work in the journal Nature.




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