Abstract: Theories about object conceptual representation have been advanced greatly in the past decades by neuropsychological evidence of semantic category-specific deficit following brain damage. We here review the most recent corroborating evidence from the brain-imaging paradigm on brain-damaged as well as healthy populations. The current evidence indicates that sensory-motor modalities and/or semantic categories are possible constraints on the organization of conceptual information. And these modality or category-specific semantic subsystems might have structural and functional connectivities to other cognitive components such as sensory, motor and theory of mind.

Key words: Brain injuries; Semantics; Memory disorders; Models; theoretical

摘要： 本文综述了人们通过语义范畴特异性（semantic category-specific）现象研究语义记忆组织方式的最新进展。语义范畴特异性现象的脑机制研究证明语义记忆表征存在多个相对独立的子系统中。这些子系统很可能是按照语义领域和（或）感觉、运动加工通道组织的，并可能与感觉、运动、心理理论等认知系统存在特定的结构和功能联系。

关键词: 脑损伤; 语义学; 记忆障碍; 模型; 理论