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Related Concept Videos

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex01:23

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.

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Related Experiment Video

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Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
12:09

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Published on: June 14, 2014

Active perception: sensorimotor circuits as a cortical basis for language.

Friedemann Pulvermüller1, Luciano Fadiga

  • 1Medical Research Council, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 2EF, UK. friedemann.pulvermuller@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

Nature Reviews. Neuroscience
|April 13, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Language comprehension relies on motor circuits. Brain studies show motor system activation during speech sound and word meaning understanding, suggesting action and perception are interdependent.

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Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Stimulating the Lip Motor Cortex with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
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Published on: June 14, 2014

Somatosensory Event-related Potentials from Orofacial Skin Stretch Stimulation
06:56

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psycholinguistics

Background:

  • Action and perception are known to be functionally linked in the brain.
  • A key debate exists on whether perception and comprehension of stimuli rely on motor circuits.
  • Brain language mechanisms offer a unique model to investigate this link.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if motor circuits contribute to language comprehension.
  • To explore the relationship between action systems and perception in the context of language.

Main Methods:

  • Neuroimaging investigations to observe brain activity during language tasks.
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to probe the causal role of motor circuits.
  • Analysis of patients with lesions in specific brain regions (inferior frontal cortex).

Main Results:

  • Specific motor activations were observed during the understanding of speech sounds, word meanings, and sentence structures.
  • Motor circuits were found to contribute to the comprehension of phonemes, semantic categories, and grammar.
  • Evidence suggests that language comprehension is supported by frontocentral action systems.

Conclusions:

  • Language comprehension benefits from the involvement of action systems in the brain.
  • Perception and action circuits are interdependent, particularly within language processing.
  • Motor system engagement is crucial for effective language understanding.