85-471 How the Brain Makes Meaning

9 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Conceptual knowledge underpins all aspects of everyday experience, from language, to thinking, to recognizing familiar objects, people and places. This seminar will survey major theories and findings about how the brain represents 'meaning.' The course will emphasize research using neuropsychological methods in brain-damaged patients and functional neuroimaging in healthy participants. Students will read primary empirical and theoretical review articles to develop an understanding of both classic findings and recent discoveries about how the human brain represents meaning.

Prerequisites: (85-211 or 85-219 or 85-170 or 85-110) and 36-200

Offered: Spring 2027, Spring 2026

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