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Related Experiment Video

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Corticospinal Excitability Modulation During Action Observation
12:33

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Published on: December 31, 2013

Abstract and concrete phrases processing differentially modulates cortico-spinal excitability.

Claudia Scorolli1, Pierre O Jacquet, Ferdinand Binkofski

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40100 Bologna, Italy. claudia.scorolli2@unibo.it

Brain Research
|October 10, 2012
PubMed
Summary

This study investigated how the brain processes abstract sentences using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Findings suggest abstract verbs may involve prolonged motor cortex activation, supporting embodied language theories.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Psycholinguistics
  • Embodied Cognition

Background:

  • Embodied theories of language face challenges explaining abstract sentence comprehension.
  • The motor cortex's role in processing abstract versus concrete language remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the motor cortex's involvement in comprehending abstract sentences.
  • To examine how abstract and concrete verbs interact with nouns representing graspable and non-graspable objects.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a novel paradigm combining abstract/concrete verbs with graspable/non-graspable nouns.
  • Applied Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to the left primary motor cortex during a sentence sensibility task.
  • Measured cortico-spinal excitability via electromyography of the right first dorsal interosseous muscle.

Main Results:

  • Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) showed greater amplitude for abstract verbs compared to concrete verbs.
  • Compatible (Abstract-Abstract, Concrete-Concrete) combinations were processed faster than mixed combinations.
  • Response times were faster when TMS targeted concrete verbs versus nouns.

Conclusions:

  • Results indicate prolonged motor cortex activation for abstract verbs, aligning with embodied theories.
  • Findings support distinct representation mechanisms for concrete and abstract words.
  • The study contributes to understanding abstract language processing within embodied cognition frameworks.