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Gravity matters for the neural representations of action semantics
Ziyi Xiong1,2, Yu Tian3,4, Xiaosha Wang1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|January 22, 2023
Summary
Altering sensorimotor experience during bed rest impacts how the brain understands lower-limb action words. However, neural representations for other action words remain stable, showing dynamic semantic processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Sensorimotor Research
Background:
- The link between sensorimotor experience and the neural representation of action semantics is debated.
- Microgravity analogs, like bed rest, alter sensorimotor input, particularly affecting lower limbs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if reduced sensorimotor experience of lower limbs affects neural processing of related action verbs.
- To compare the impact on lower-limb versus upper-limb action verb comprehension.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to compare brain activity patterns before and after a 15-day head-down tilt bed rest.
- Multivoxel pattern analysis examined neural representations of lower-limb and upper-limb action verbs.
Main Results:
- Bed rest induced effector-specific changes in sensorimotor and anterior temporal regions for lower-limb action verbs.
- Neural representations in other semantic and motor execution regions were resilient to altered sensorimotor experience.
Conclusions:
- Semantic neural representations are multidimensional and dynamic, influenced by specific sensorimotor experiences.
- The findings suggest a broad impact of microgravity and gravity on cognitive processes, including language.
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