The brain remains one of the least understood organs, with many open questions—especially about how it organizes the information we rely on in everyday life.
A new study led by the University of Coimbra sheds light on how the brain represents objects we use daily. The findings show the brain organizes object information into continuous maps, enabling efficient communication and supporting cognition.
Mapping How the Brain Organizes Information
Part of the ERC-funded ContentMap project and published in NeuroImage, the research introduces content-topic maps. These maps illustrate how different types of information are spatially distributed across the brain.
According to Jorge Almeida, the brain encodes object knowledge in smooth cortical maps, where nearby regions represent objects with similar properties rather than random distributions.
The research was driven by a fundamental question: how does the brain recognize what objects are for—knowing, for example, that a mug is for drinking or a key fits a lock? Although this seems simple, it requires integrating multiple features, such as shape, material, and function.
Imaging the Brain’s Response to Everyday Objects
The team used fMRI to study brain responses to visually presented, manipulable objects. Advanced analytical methods were then applied to track systematic changes in brain activity linked to these object properties.
The results showed that content-topic maps are continuous and consistent across individuals, meaning one person’s maps can be predicted from another’s. Each object property is represented by a distinct map, and these maps cannot be explained by basic sensory features alone.
Overall, the findings suggest that the brain organizes information in ways that maximize efficiency. Much like geographical maps simplify complex landscapes, these neural maps enable fast and effective processing of object-related knowledge across the brain.
Jorge Almeida highlights that these maps play a key role in cognitive flexibility because they enable the brain to tell objects apart while still recognizing similarities between them—a core feature of human intelligence.
New Insights Into How the Brain Transforms Experience Into Knowledge
With nearly 20 years of research, the neuroscientist says the findings reveal how brain structure turns experience into knowledge. They suggest that the same mapping mechanisms that guide perception also support understanding.
Almeida also stresses the value of basic scientific research, noting that practical and clinical advances depend on it. Understanding how the brain functions, he argues, is essential before developing any therapeutic applications.
The study was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the University of Coimbra and the University of Glasgow.
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