Task related modulation of the motor system during language processing

@article{citeulike:2138720, abstract = {Recent neurophysiological and brain imaging studies have shown that the motor system is involved in language processing. However, it is an open question whether this involvement is a necessary requisite to understand language or rather a side effect of distinct cognitive processes underlying it. In order to clarify this issue we carried out three behavioral experiments, using a go-no go paradigm. Italian verbs expressing hand actions, foot actions or an abstract content served as stimuli. Participants used their right hands to respond. In Experiment 1, in which a semantics decision task with an early delivery of the go signal (during processing language material) was used, slower responses were found for hand action-related verbs than for foot action-related verbs. In Experiment 2, using the same task with either an early or a delayed delivery of the go signal (when language material had been already processed), no difference was found between responses to the two verb categories in the delayed delivery condition. In Experiment 3, in which a lexical decision task with an early delivery of the go signal was used, again no difference between the two verb categories was found. The present findings demonstrate that during language processing the modulation of the motor system crucially occurs while performing a semantics decision task, thus supporting the notion that this involvement is a necessary step to understand language rather than a side effect of upstream cognitive processes.}, author = {Sato, Marc and Mengarelli, Marisa and Riggio, Lucia and Gallese, Vittorio and Buccino, Giovanni }, citeulike-article-id = {2138720}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2007.10.001}, journal = {Brain and Language}, keywords = {arm-movements, attention, bnljournal, hand, language, learning, mirror-neuron}, posted-at = {2007-12-17 23:18:44}, priority = {2}, title = {Task related modulation of the motor system during language processing}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2007.10.001}, volume = {In Press, Corrected Proof} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:2138720 L3 - citeulike-article-id:2138720 N2 - Recent neurophysiological and brain imaging studies have shown that the motor system is involved in language processing. However, it is an open question whether this involvement is a necessary requisite to understand language or rather a side effect of distinct cognitive processes underlying it. In order to clarify this issue we carried out three behavioral experiments, using a go-no go paradigm. Italian verbs expressing hand actions, foot actions or an abstract content served as stimuli. Participants used their right hands to respond. In Experiment 1, in which a semantics decision task with an early delivery of the go signal (during processing language material) was used, slower responses were found for hand action-related verbs than for foot action-related verbs. In Experiment 2, using the same task with either an early or a delayed delivery of the go signal (when language material had been already processed), no difference was found between responses to the two verb categories in the delayed delivery condition. In Experiment 3, in which a lexical decision task with an early delivery of the go signal was used, again no difference between the two verb categories was found. The present findings demonstrate that during language processing the modulation of the motor system crucially occurs while performing a semantics decision task, thus supporting the notion that this involvement is a necessary step to understand language rather than a side effect of upstream cognitive processes. JF - Brain and Language TI - Task related modulation of the motor system during language processing VL - In Press, Corrected Proof KW - arm-movements KW - attention KW - bnljournal KW - hand KW - language KW - learning KW - mirror-neuron AU - Sato, Marc AU - Mengarelli, Marisa AU - Riggio, Lucia AU - Gallese, Vittorio AU - Buccino, Giovanni UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2007.10.001 ER -