Interactions between cognitive systems. Behavioral and neurophysiological evidence for the role of semantic memory in information processing

This article discusses the interaction between cognitive functions of exemplarily by elucidating the role of semantic memory in information processing. It is well established that semantic memory can be functionally and neuroanatomically dissociated from other memory systems (e.g., episodic memory, working memory) as well as from the sensory and motor systems. However, full functionality of the entire system can only be guaranteed if cognitive systems are orchestrated in the course of information processing in a coordinated manner. This article reports behavioral and neurophysiological evidence which refines the role of semantic memory within the cognitive architecture of human information processing. It illustrates exemplarily how semantic memory functionally and neuroanatomically relates to the sensory and motor systems. Converging evidence from other cognitive domains such as working memory, episodic memory, and language processing suggests that an overlap between systems could constitute a basic organizational principle in the architecture of human cognition. To date, isolated theories of single cognitive functions dominate. As shown in this work, combining approaches from cognitive psychology and neuroscience may contribute to the development of integrative theories.