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Comprehending prehending: neural correlates of processing verbs with motor stems
Shirley-Ann Rüschemeyer1, Marcel Brass, Angela D Friederici
1Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Germany. ruesch@cbs.mpg.de
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|May 10, 2007
Summary
Brain imaging reveals that comprehending motor verbs like "grasp" engages the motor system, unlike abstract verbs like "think." Complex verbs with motor roots do not activate the motor system but show unique temporal cortex activity.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Linguistics
Background:
- The link between language and action systems is a key area in cognitive neuroscience.
- Prior research indicates action verb processing activates the brain's motor system somatotopically.
- The current study builds upon this by examining nuanced verb processing and complex word formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if brain responses to verbs with specific motor meanings differ from other motor verbs.
- To determine if motor verb comprehension fundamentally differs from abstract verb processing.
- To explore the neural basis of morphologically complex verbs derived from motor versus abstract stems.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity.
- Participants processed verbs with concrete motor meanings (e.g., 'grasp') and abstract meanings (e.g., 'think').
- Neural correlates of complex verbs derived from motor and abstract stems were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Comprehension of motor verbs (e.g., 'grasp') elicited distinct brain responses compared to abstract verbs (e.g., 'think').
- Processing morphologically complex verbs built on motor stems did not recruit the motor system differently than those built on abstract stems.
- Complex verbs with motor stems showed greater activation in the right posterior temporal cortex compared to complex verbs with abstract stems.
Conclusions:
- Verb meaning, whether motor or abstract, influences distinct neural processing.
- Morphological complexity does not necessarily transfer motor stem activation to complex verb processing.
- The right posterior temporal cortex may play a role in processing figurative or metaphoric language derived from motor concepts.
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