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Grasping language--a short story on embodiment
Doreen Jirak1, Mareike M Menz, Giovanni Buccino
1Department of Systems Neuroscience and Neuroimage Nord, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Consciousness and Cognition
|August 27, 2010
Summary
Embodied cognition theories suggest sensorimotor areas are crucial for language. This review supports the hypothesis that the motor system activates during language comprehension, integrating perception and action.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Neuroscience
- Philosophy
- Anthropology
- Robotics
Background:
- Embodied cognition theories explore the link between low-level perception and high-level cognition like language.
- Theories of embodied cognition are increasingly studied across diverse scientific disciplines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the arguments on the embodiment of language.
- To analyze and weigh previous findings using ALE meta-analysis.
Main Methods:
- Review of argumentation on language embodiment.
- Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of previous studies.
- Examination of evidence from somatotopic activation, word processing, patient studies, and timing studies.
Main Results:
- Evidence emphasizes the significant role of sensorimotor areas in language processing.
- Somatotopic activation in motor areas is observed during language tasks.
- Both abstract and concrete word processing involve sensorimotor areas.
Conclusions:
- The motor system is activated during language comprehension.
- Sensorimotor areas play a critical role in language processing, supporting embodied cognition theories.
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