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The word processing deficit in semantic dementia: all categories are equal, but some categories are more equal than others
Pulvermüller F, Cooper-Pye E, Dine C, Hauk O, Nestor PJ, Patterson K.. Journal of cognitive neuroscience, 2010-09-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
It has been claimed that semantic dementia (SD), the temporal variant of fronto-temporal dementia, is characterized by an across-the-board deficit affecting all types of conceptual knowledge. We here confirm this generalized deficit but also report differential degrees of impairment in processing specific semantic word categories in a case series of SD patients (N = 11). Within the domain of words with strong visually grounded meaning, the patients' lexical decision accuracy was more impaired for color-related than for form-related words. Likewise, within the domain of action verbs, the patients' performance was worse for words referring to face movements and speech acts than for words semantically linked to actions performed with the hand and arm. Psycholinguistic properties were matched between the stimulus groups entering these contrasts; an explanation for the differential degrees of impairment must therefore involve semantic features of the words in the different conditions. Furthermore, this specific pattern of deficits cannot be captured by classic category distinctions such as nouns versus verbs or living versus nonliving things. Evidence from previous neuroimaging research indicates that color- and face/speech-related words, respectively, draw most heavily on anterior-temporal and inferior-frontal areas, the structures most affected in SD. Our account combines (a) the notion of an anterior-temporal amodal semantic "hub" to explain the profound across-the-board deficit in SD word processing, with (b) a semantic topography model of category-specific circuits whose cortical distributions reflect semantic features of the words and concepts represented.
Key findings
- Furthermore, this specific pattern of deficits cannot be captured by classic category distinctions such as nouns versus verbs or living versus nonliving things.
- Evidence from previous neuroimaging research indicates that color- and face/speech-related words, respectively, draw most heavily on anterior-temporal and inferior-frontal areas, the structures most affected in SD.
Why it matters
In semantic dementia, patients showed differential impairment in processing specific semantic word categories, such as color-related versus form-related words. This is about understanding language deficits in semantic dementia and does not address treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of cognitive neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience: journal h-index 305 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 112 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.2 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Karalyn E. Patterson: h-index 101 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Cambridge: institution h-index 1,973 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 19722916) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Pulvermüller, F., Cooper-Pye, E., Dine, C., Hauk, O., Nestor, P. J., & Patterson, K. (2010). The word processing deficit in semantic dementia: all categories are equal, but some categories are more equal than others. Journal of cognitive neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2009.21339
Vancouver
Pulvermüller F, Cooper-Pye E, Dine C, Hauk O, Nestor PJ, Patterson K. The word processing deficit in semantic dementia: all categories are equal, but some categories are more equal than others. Journal of cognitive neuroscience. 2010. doi:10.1162/jocn.2009.21339. PMID: 19722916.
BibTeX
@article{pulvermuller2010-19722916,
author = {Pulvermüller, F. and Cooper-Pye, E. and Dine, C. and Hauk, O. and Nestor, P. J. and Patterson, K.},
title = {{The word processing deficit in semantic dementia: all categories are equal, but some categories are more equal than others}},
journal = {Journal of cognitive neuroscience},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1162/jocn.2009.21339},
pmid = {19722916},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2009.21339}
}
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