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Updated: May 7, 2026
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The "Motor" in Implicit Motor Sequence Learning: A Foot-stepping Serial Reaction Time Task
Published on: May 3, 2018
Word-induced postural changes reflect a tight interaction between motor and lexico-semantic representations.
Douglas M Shiller1, Nicolas Bourguignon, Victor Frak
1École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, Montreal, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
Neuroscience Letters
|September 21, 2013
Summary
Listening to action verbs influences whole-body posture control. This study reveals a specific neural link between action concepts in language and motor functions, extending previous research on limb-specific effects.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Motor Control
Background:
- Lexico-semantic access and motor control are tightly linked, supported by neuropsychological, neurophysiological, and behavioral evidence.
- Previous studies often focused on upper limbs, neglecting whole-body representations in language-motor interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction between linguistic processing and whole-body postural control.
- To bridge the gap in research by examining language's effect on lower or whole-body representations.
Main Methods:
- Evaluating postural control during quiet standing.
- Assessing the influence of passively listening to action verbs versus mental-state verbs.
Main Results:
- Passive listening to action verbs systematically influenced measures of postural control.
- Mental-state verbs did not show a similar effect on postural control.
Conclusions:
- A clear and specific neural link exists between action concepts in language and whole-body motor functions.
- Language processing, specifically action verbs, has a discernible impact on bodily motor control.
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