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Chang W, Zhao X, Wang L, Zhou X. Causal role of frontocentral beta oscillation in comprehending linguistic communicative functions. Neuroimage 2024:120853. [PMID: 39270764 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 08/28/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Linguistic communication is often considered as an action serving the function of conveying the speaker's goal to the addressee. Although neuroimaging studies have suggested a role of the motor system in comprehending communicative functions, the underlying mechanism is yet to be specified. Here, by two EEG experiments and a tACS experiment, we demonstrate that the frontocentral beta oscillation, which represents action states, plays a crucial part in linguistic communication understanding. Participants read scripts involving two interlocutors and rated the interlocutors' attitudes. Each script included a critical sentence said by the speaker expressing a context-dependent function of either promise, request, or reply to the addressee's query. These functions were behaviorally discriminated, with higher addressee's will rating for the promise than for the reply and higher speaker's will rating for the request than for the reply. EEG multivariate analyses showed that different communicative functions were represented by different patterns of the frontocentral beta activity but not by patterns of alpha activity. Further tACS results showed that, relative to alpha tACS and sham stimulation, beta tACS improved the predictability of communicative functions of request or reply, as measured by the speaker's will rating. These results convergently suggest a causal role of the frontocentral beta activities in comprehending linguistic communications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenshuo Chang
- Institute of Linguistics, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai 201620, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiaoxi Zhao
- Institute of Linguistics, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai 201620, China
| | - Lihui Wang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 20030, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 200125, China.
| | - Xiaolin Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai 201620, China.
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Marji M, Schwartz C, Nguyen T, Kupfer AS, Blais C, Restrepo MA, Glenberg AM. Learning to Listen: Changes in Children's Brain Activity Following a Listening Comprehension Intervention. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:585. [PMID: 39062408 PMCID: PMC11273652 DOI: 10.3390/bs14070585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
"Are you LISTENING?" may be one of the most frequent questions preschoolers hear from their parents and teachers, but can children be taught to listen carefully-and thus better comprehend language-and if so, what changes occur in their brains? Twenty-seven four- and five-year-old children were taught a language simulation strategy to use while listening to stories: first, they practiced moving graphics on an iPad to correspond to the story actions, and then they practiced imagining the movements. Compared to a control condition, children in the intervention answered comprehension questions more accurately when imagining moving the graphics and on a measure of transfer using a new story without any instruction and with only immovable graphics. Importantly, for children in the intervention, the change in comprehension from the first to the sixth day was strongly correlated with changes in EEG mu and alpha desynchronization, suggesting changes in motor and visual processing following the intervention. Thus, the data are consistent with our hypothesis that a language simulation listening comprehension intervention can improve children's listening comprehension by teaching children to align visual and motor processing with language comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Marji
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (M.M.); (C.S.); (T.N.); (A.S.K.); (C.B.)
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Cody Schwartz
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (M.M.); (C.S.); (T.N.); (A.S.K.); (C.B.)
| | - Tri Nguyen
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (M.M.); (C.S.); (T.N.); (A.S.K.); (C.B.)
| | - Anne S. Kupfer
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (M.M.); (C.S.); (T.N.); (A.S.K.); (C.B.)
| | - Chris Blais
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (M.M.); (C.S.); (T.N.); (A.S.K.); (C.B.)
| | - Maria Adelaida Restrepo
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33620, USA;
| | - Arthur M. Glenberg
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, 950 S. McAllister Ave, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; (M.M.); (C.S.); (T.N.); (A.S.K.); (C.B.)
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- INICO, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Salamanca, Avda. de la Merced, 109-131, 37005 Salamanca, Spain
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Zappa A, Bolger D, Pergandi JM, Fargier R, Mestre D, Frenck-Mestre C. The Neural Correlates of Embodied L2 Learning: Does Embodied L2 Verb Learning Affect Representation and Retention? NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 5:360-384. [PMID: 38911460 PMCID: PMC11192445 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
We investigated how naturalistic actions in a highly immersive, multimodal, interactive 3D virtual reality (VR) environment may enhance word encoding by recording EEG in a pre/post-test learning paradigm. While behavior data have shown that coupling word encoding with gestures congruent with word meaning enhances learning, the neural underpinnings of this effect have yet to be elucidated. We coupled EEG recording with VR to examine whether embodied learning improves learning and creates linguistic representations that produce greater motor resonance. Participants learned action verbs in an L2 in two different conditions: specific action (observing and performing congruent actions on virtual objects) and pointing (observing actions and pointing to virtual objects). Pre- and post-training participants performed a match-mismatch task as we measured EEG (variation in the N400 response as a function of match between observed actions and auditory verbs) and a passive listening task while we measured motor activation (mu [8-13 Hz] and beta band [13-30 Hz] desynchronization during auditory verb processing) during verb processing. Contrary to our expectations, post-training results revealed neither semantic nor motor effects in either group when considered independently of learning success. Behavioral results showed a great deal of variability in learning success. When considering performance, low performance learners showed no semantic effect and high performance learners exhibited an N400 effect for mismatch versus match trials post-training, independent of the type of learning. Taken as a whole, our results suggest that embodied processes can play an important role in L2 learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Zappa
- Institute of Neurosciences and Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology at University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Cognition and Brain Plasticity Unit, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Deidre Bolger
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPL, Aix-en-Provence, France
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Díaz Rivera MN, Amoruso L, Bocanegra Y, Suárez JX, Moreno L, Muñoz E, Birba A, García AM. Electrophysiological alterations during action semantic processing in Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2024; 136:78-87. [PMID: 38330642 PMCID: PMC10942755 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Assessments of action semantics consistently reveal markers of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, neurophysiological signatures of the domain remain under-examined in this population, especially under conditions that allow patients to process stimuli without stringent time constraints. Here we assessed event-related potentials and time-frequency modulations in healthy individuals (HPs) and PD patients during a delayed-response semantic judgment task involving related and unrelated action-picture pairs. Both groups had shorter response times for related than for unrelated trials, but they exhibited discrepant electrophysiological patterns. HPs presented significantly greater N400 amplitudes as well as theta enhancement and mu desynchronization for unrelated relative to related trials. Conversely, N400 and theta modulations were abolished in the patients, who further exhibited a contralateralized cluster in the mu range. None of these patterns were associated with the participants' cognitive status. Our results suggest that PD involves multidimensional neurophysiological disruptions during action-concept processing, even under task conditions that elicit canonical behavioral effects. New constraints thus emerge for translational neurocognitive models of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano N Díaz Rivera
- Centro de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad de San Andrés (UdeSA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucía Amoruso
- Centro de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad de San Andrés (UdeSA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), Spain; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Spain
| | - Yamile Bocanegra
- Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia; Grupo Neuropsicología y Conducta (GRUNECO), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Jazmin X Suárez
- Grupo Neuropsicología y Conducta (GRUNECO), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Leonardo Moreno
- Sección de Neurología, Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe, Medellín, Colombia
| | - Edinson Muñoz
- Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Agustina Birba
- Centro de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad de San Andrés (UdeSA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Adolfo M García
- Centro de Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad de San Andrés (UdeSA), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Global Brain Health Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States.
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Zhang Y, Chen S, Peng Y, Yang X, Yang J. The Role of the Motor System in L1 and L2 Action Verb Processing for Chinese Learners of English: Evidence from Mu Rhythm Desynchronization. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:268. [PMID: 38667064 PMCID: PMC11047514 DOI: 10.3390/bs14040268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The nature of semantic representation has long been a key question in linguistic research. The Embodied Cognition theory challenges the traditional view of language representation, stating that semantic information stems from the sensory-motor cortex, which is activated automatically during semantic processing. However, most of the evidence comes from monolingual studies; it remains unclear whether second-language (L2) comprehension involves different semantic representations or mirrors the pattern seen in first-language (L1) processing. Therefore, the present study investigated the role of the sensory-motor system in language processing via making Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings during the processing of L1 and L2 action verbs. The results showed that L1 (Chinese) action verbs generated higher mu-event-related desynchronization (ERD) than L1 abstract verbs in the early processing stage (250 ms after verb presentation), and the same phenomenon was also observed for L2 (English). The results also indicated that language modulated the processing of action verbs, with L1 action verbs eliciting stronger ERD than L2 action verbs. These results demonstrate that the sensory-motor cortex plays a crucial role in comprehending both L1 and L2 action verbs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shifa Chen
- College of Foreign Languages, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; (Y.Z.); (X.Y.); (J.Y.)
| | - Yule Peng
- College of Foreign Languages, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; (Y.Z.); (X.Y.); (J.Y.)
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Mao X, Zhang Z, Yang Y, Chen Y, Wang Y, Wang W. Characteristics of different Mandarin pronunciation element perception: evidence based on a multifeature paradigm for recording MMN and P3a components of phonemic changes in speech sounds. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1277129. [PMID: 38264493 PMCID: PMC10804857 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1277129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background As a tonal language, Mandarin Chinese has the following pronunciation elements for each syllable: the vowel, consonant, tone, duration, and intensity. Revealing the characteristics of auditory-related cortical processing of these different pronunciation elements is interesting. Methods A Mandarin pronunciation multifeature paradigm was designed, during which a standard stimulus and five different phonemic deviant stimuli were presented. The electroencephalogram (EEG) data were recorded with 256-electrode high-density EEG equipment. Time-domain and source localization analyses were conducted to demonstrate waveform characteristics and locate the sources of the cortical processing of mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a components following different stimuli. Results Vowel and consonant differences elicited distinct MMN and P3a components, but tone and duration differences did not. Intensity differences elicited distinct MMN components but not P3a components. For MMN and P3a components, the activated cortical areas were mainly in the frontal-temporal lobe. However, the regions and intensities of the cortical activation were significantly different among the components for the various deviant stimuli. The activated cortical areas of the MMN and P3a components elicited by vowels and consonants seemed to be larger and show more intense activation. Conclusion The auditory processing centers use different auditory-related cognitive resources when processing different Mandarin pronunciation elements. Vowels and consonants carry more information for speech comprehension; moreover, more neurons in the cortex may be involved in the recognition and cognitive processing of these elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Mao
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Otolaryngology of Tianjin, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Auditory Speech and Balance Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Key Medical Discipline of Tianjin (Otolaryngology), Tianjin, China
- Otolaryngology Clinical Quality Control Centre, Tianjin, China
| | - Ziyue Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Otolaryngology of Tianjin, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Auditory Speech and Balance Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Key Medical Discipline of Tianjin (Otolaryngology), Tianjin, China
- Otolaryngology Clinical Quality Control Centre, Tianjin, China
| | - Yijing Yang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Otolaryngology of Tianjin, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Auditory Speech and Balance Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Key Medical Discipline of Tianjin (Otolaryngology), Tianjin, China
- Otolaryngology Clinical Quality Control Centre, Tianjin, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Otolaryngology of Tianjin, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Auditory Speech and Balance Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Key Medical Discipline of Tianjin (Otolaryngology), Tianjin, China
- Otolaryngology Clinical Quality Control Centre, Tianjin, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Otolaryngology of Tianjin, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Auditory Speech and Balance Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Key Medical Discipline of Tianjin (Otolaryngology), Tianjin, China
- Otolaryngology Clinical Quality Control Centre, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China
- Institute of Otolaryngology of Tianjin, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Auditory Speech and Balance Medicine, Tianjin, China
- Key Medical Discipline of Tianjin (Otolaryngology), Tianjin, China
- Otolaryngology Clinical Quality Control Centre, Tianjin, China
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Muraki EJ, Dahm SF, Pexman PM. Meaning in hand: Investigating shared mechanisms of motor imagery and sensorimotor simulation in language processing. Cognition 2023; 240:105589. [PMID: 37566931 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
There is substantial evidence to support grounded theories of semantic representation, however the mechanisms of simulation in most theories are underspecified. In the present study, we used an individual differences approach to test whether motor imagery may share some mechanisms with sensorimotor simulations engaged during semantic processing. We quantified individual differences in motor imagery ability via implicit imagery tasks and explicit imagery questionnaires and tested their relationship to sensorimotor effects in syntactic classification tasks. In Experiment 1 (N = 185) we tested relationships between motor imagery and semantic processing of body-object interaction meaning (BOI; the degree to which you can interact with a word's referent) and foot/leg action meaning. We observed two interactions between imagery ability measured on the Florida Praxis Imagery Questionnaire (FPIQ) and BOI effects in semantic processing (response time and accuracy). In both interactions poorer imagery ability was associated with null BOI effects, whereas better imagery was associated with BOI effects. We also observed faster and more accurate responses to verbs associated with more foot/leg action meaning than verbs with less foot/leg action meaning, but this foot/leg action effect did not significantly interact with individual differences in motor imagery. In Experiment 2 (N = 195) we tested whether the interactions observed in Experiment 1 were dependent on the object-directed nature of the actions, or whether similar effects would be observed for hand actions not associated with objects. We also expanded our investigation beyond hand and foot imagery to consider whole body imagery. We observed an interaction between performance on a hand laterality judgement task (HLJT; assessing hand motor imagery) and sensorimotor effects in semantic processing of verbs associated with hand/arm action meaning. Participants with the fastest responses on the most difficult trials of the HLJT showed no significant difference in their response times to words with high and low hand/arm action meaning. We also observed faster and more accurate responses to high relative to low embodiment verbs, but this sensorimotor effect did not interact with individual differences in motor imagery. The results suggest specific (and not general) associations, in that some, but not all forms of hand and object-directed motor imagery are related to sensorimotor effects in language processing of hand/arm action verbs and nouns describing objects that are easy to interact with. As such, hand and object-directed motor imagery may share mechanisms with sensorimotor simulation during semantic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiko J Muraki
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Canada.
| | - Stephan F Dahm
- Department of Psychology, Universität Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Penny M Pexman
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Canada
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Ibáñez A, Kühne K, Miklashevsky A, Monaco E, Muraki E, Ranzini M, Speed LJ, Tuena C. Ecological Meanings: A Consensus Paper on Individual Differences and Contextual Influences in Embodied Language. J Cogn 2023; 6:59. [PMID: 37841670 PMCID: PMC10573819 DOI: 10.5334/joc.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Embodied theories of cognition consider many aspects of language and other cognitive domains as the result of sensory and motor processes. In this view, the appraisal and the use of concepts are based on mechanisms of simulation grounded on prior sensorimotor experiences. Even though these theories continue receiving attention and support, increasing evidence indicates the need to consider the flexible nature of the simulation process, and to accordingly refine embodied accounts. In this consensus paper, we discuss two potential sources of variability in experimental studies on embodiment of language: individual differences and context. Specifically, we show how factors contributing to individual differences may explain inconsistent findings in embodied language phenomena. These factors include sensorimotor or cultural experiences, imagery, context-related factors, and cognitive strategies. We also analyze the different contextual modulations, from single words to sentences and narratives, as well as the top-down and bottom-up influences. Similarly, we review recent efforts to include cultural and language diversity, aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and brain disorders, as well as bilingual evidence into the embodiment framework. We address the importance of considering individual differences and context in clinical studies to drive translational research more efficiently, and we indicate recommendations on how to correctly address these issues in future research. Systematically investigating individual differences and context may contribute to understanding the dynamic nature of simulation in language processes, refining embodied theories of cognition, and ultimately filling the gap between cognition in artificial experimental settings and cognition in the wild (i.e., in everyday life).
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Ibáñez
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, Chile
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC), Universidad de San Andrés and CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI), University of California San Francisco (UCSF), California, US
- Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland, IE
| | - Katharina Kühne
- Potsdam Embodied Cognition Group, Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, DE
| | - Alex Miklashevsky
- Potsdam Embodied Cognition Group, Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, DE
| | - Elisa Monaco
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Neurological Sciences, Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, CH
| | - Emiko Muraki
- Department of Psychology & Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, CA
| | | | | | - Cosimo Tuena
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, IT
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Bechtold L, Cosper SH, Malyshevskaya A, Montefinese M, Morucci P, Niccolai V, Repetto C, Zappa A, Shtyrov Y. Brain Signatures of Embodied Semantics and Language: A Consensus Paper. J Cogn 2023; 6:61. [PMID: 37841669 PMCID: PMC10573703 DOI: 10.5334/joc.237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
According to embodied theories (including embodied, embedded, extended, enacted, situated, and grounded approaches to cognition), language representation is intrinsically linked to our interactions with the world around us, which is reflected in specific brain signatures during language processing and learning. Moving on from the original rivalry of embodied vs. amodal theories, this consensus paper addresses a series of carefully selected questions that aim at determining when and how rather than whether motor and perceptual processes are involved in language processes. We cover a wide range of research areas, from the neurophysiological signatures of embodied semantics, e.g., event-related potentials and fields as well as neural oscillations, to semantic processing and semantic priming effects on concrete and abstract words, to first and second language learning and, finally, the use of virtual reality for examining embodied semantics. Our common aim is to better understand the role of motor and perceptual processes in language representation as indexed by language comprehension and learning. We come to the consensus that, based on seminal research conducted in the field, future directions now call for enhancing the external validity of findings by acknowledging the multimodality, multidimensionality, flexibility and idiosyncrasy of embodied and situated language and semantic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bechtold
- Institute for Experimental Psychology, Department for Biological Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Samuel H. Cosper
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Anastasia Malyshevskaya
- Centre for Cognition and Decision making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, Russian Federation
- Potsdam Embodied Cognition Group, Cognitive Sciences, University of Potsdam, Germany
| | | | | | - Valentina Niccolai
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claudia Repetto
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Ana Zappa
- Laboratoire parole et langage, Aix-Marseille Université, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Yury Shtyrov
- Centre for Cognition and Decision making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, Russian Federation
- Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark
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Vitale F, de Vega M. Disturbing the activity of the primary motor cortex by means of transcranial magnetic stimulation affects long term memory of sentences referred to manipulable objects. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1175217. [PMID: 37457058 PMCID: PMC10347394 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1175217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Previous studies on embodied meaning suggest that simulations in the motor cortex play a crucial role in the processing of action sentences. However, there is little evidence that embodied meaning have functional impact beyond working memory. This study examines how the neuromodulation of the motor cortex (M1) could affect the processing of action-related language, measuring participants' performance in a long-term memory task. Method Participants were submitted to two sessions in separate days, one with low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and the other with sham rTMS. The pulses were delivered for 15 minutes over M1 or over V1, used as a control area. After each stimulation or sham period, the participants were asked to memorize a list of simple sentences, with a manual action verb or an attentional verb, followed in both cases by a noun referred to a manipulable object (e.g., to hang a cane vs. to observe a cane). Finally, they received the verbs as cues with instructions to recall the nouns. Results The results showed that low frequency rTMS on M1, compared to sham stimulation, significantly improved the performance in the memory task, for both types of sentences. No change in performance was found after the rTMS stimulation of V1. Discussion These results confirm that the perturbation on the motor system, affect the memory of manipulable object names in the context of sentences, providing further evidence of the role played by the sensorimotor system in the encoding and recall of concrete sentences of action.
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11
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O’Shea H. Mapping relational links between motor imagery, action observation, action-related language, and action execution. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:984053. [DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.984053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Actions can be physically executed, observed, imagined, or simply thought about. Unifying mental processes, such as simulation, emulation, or predictive processing, are thought to underlie different action types, whether they are mental states, as in the case of motor imagery and action observation, or involve physical execution. While overlapping brain activity is typically observed across different actions which indicates commonalities, research interest is also concerned with investigating the distinct functional components of these action types. Unfortunately, untangling subtleties associated with the neurocognitive bases of different action types is a complex endeavour due to the high dimensional nature of their neural substrate (e.g., any action process is likely to activate multiple brain regions thereby having multiple dimensions to consider when comparing across them). This has impeded progress in action-related theorising and application. The present study addresses this challenge by using the novel approach of multidimensional modeling to reduce the high-dimensional neural substrate of four action-related behaviours (motor imagery, action observation, action-related language, and action execution), find the least number of dimensions that distinguish or relate these action types, and characterise their neurocognitive relational links. Data for the model comprised brain activations for action types from whole-brain analyses reported in 53 published articles. Eighty-two dimensions (i.e., 82 brain regions) for the action types were reduced to a three-dimensional model, that mapped action types in ordination space where the greater the distance between the action types, the more dissimilar they are. A series of one-way ANOVAs and post-hoc comparisons performed on the mean coordinates for each action type in the model showed that across all action types, action execution and concurrent action observation (AO)-motor imagery (MI) were most neurocognitively similar, while action execution and AO were most dissimilar. Most action types were similar on at least one neurocognitive dimension, the exception to this being action-related language. The import of the findings are discussed in terms of future research and implications for application.
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Li X, Luo D, Wang C, Xia Y, Jin H. Motor features of abstract verbs determine their representations in the motor system. Front Psychol 2022; 13:957426. [PMID: 36110272 PMCID: PMC9469731 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.957426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Embodied cognition theory posits that concept representations inherently rely on sensorimotor experiences that accompany their acquisitions. This is well established through concrete concepts. However, it is debatable whether representations of abstract concepts are based on sensorimotor representations. This study investigated the causal role of associated motor experiences that accompany concept acquisition in the involvement of the motor system in the abstract verb processing. Through two experiments, we examined the action–sentence compatibility effect, in the test phase after an increase in motor features during the learning phase for abstract verbs with low motor features (Experiment 1) or novel words with no conceptual features at all (Experiment 2). After associated motor experiences were added in the word learning phase, action–sentence compatibility effect was found in the semantic processing tasks during the test phase for abstract verbs (Experiment 1a) and novel words (Experiment 2). This was lacking in the word font color judgment task requiring no semantic processing (Experiment 1b). Coupled with our previous study, these findings suggest that motor features formed during word learning could causally affect embodiment in the motor system for abstract verbs, and reactivation of motor experiences in abstract verb processing depends on a given task’s demands. Our study supports the view that conceptual representations, even abstract concepts, can be grounded in sensorimotor experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Psychology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Dan Luo
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yaoyuan Xia
- Department of Physical Education, Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hua Jin
- Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Hua Jin,
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13
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Xin X, Zhang Q. The Inhibition Effect of Affordances in Action Picture Naming: An ERP Study. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:951-966. [PMID: 35303083 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
How quickly are different kinds of conceptual knowledge activated in action picture naming? Using a masked priming paradigm, we manipulated the prime category type (artificial vs. natural), prime action type (precision, power, vs. neutral grip), and target action type (precision vs. power grip) in action picture naming, while electrophysiological signals were measured concurrently. Naming latencies showed an inhibition effect in the congruent action type condition compared with the neutral condition. ERP results showed that artificial and natural category primes induced smaller waveforms in precision or power action primes than neutral primes in the time window of 100-200 msec. Time-frequency results consistently presented a power desynchronization of the mu rhythm in the time window of 0-210 msec with precision action type artificial objects compared with neutral primes, which localized at the supplementary motor, precentral and postcentral areas in the left hemisphere. These findings suggest an inhibitory effect of affordances arising at conceptual preparation in action picture naming and provide evidence for embodied cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xin
- Renmin University of China, Beijing
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14
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Genzer S, Ong DC, Zaki J, Perry A. Mu Rhythm Suppression Over Sensorimotor Regions is Associated with Greater Empathic Accuracy. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 17:788-801. [PMID: 35137224 PMCID: PMC9433844 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
When people encounter others’ emotions, they engage multiple brain systems, including parts of the sensorimotor cortex associated with motor simulation. Simulation-related brain activity is commonly described as a ‘low-level’ component of empathy and social cognition. It remains unclear whether and how sensorimotor simulation contributes to complex empathic judgments. Here, we combine a naturalistic social paradigm with a reliable index of sensorimotor cortex-based simulation: electroencephalography suppression of oscillatory activity in the mu frequency band. We recruited participants to watch naturalistic video clips of people (‘targets’) describing emotional life events. In two experiments, participants viewed these clips (i) with video and sound, (ii) with only video or (iii) with only sound and provided continuous ratings of how they believed the target felt. We operationalized ‘empathic accuracy’ as the correlation between participants’ inferences and targets’ self-report. In Experiment 1 (US sample), across all conditions, right-lateralized mu suppression tracked empathic accuracy. In Experiment 2 (Israeli sample), this replicated only when using individualized frequency-bands and only for the visual stimuli. Our results provide novel evidence that sensorimotor representations—as measured through mu suppression—play a role not only in low-level motor simulation, but also in higher-level inferences about others’ emotions, especially when visual cues are crucial for accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shir Genzer
- Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
| | - Desmond C Ong
- Department of Information Systems and Analytics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117418, Singapore
- Institute of High Performance Computing, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138632, Singapore
| | - Jamil Zaki
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Anat Perry
- Correspondence should be addressed to Anat Perry, Department of Psychology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel. E-mail:
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Vitale F, Monti I, Padrón I, Avenanti A, de Vega M. The neural inhibition network is causally involved in the disembodiment effect of linguistic negation. Cortex 2021; 147:72-82. [PMID: 35026556 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Negation applied to action contexts reduces the activation of the motor system. According to the Reusing Inhibition for Negation (RIN) hypothesis, such "disembodiment" effect occurs because understanding negations engages the reuse of inhibitory control mechanisms. Here, we investigated whether the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) - a key area of the inhibitory control system - contributes to primary motor cortex (M1) processing of negated action-sentences. Using a perturb-and-measure paradigm, we applied off-line low-frequency repetitive TMS (rTMS) over the rIFG, before performing a reading task involving action and attentional sentences presented in both affirmative or negative form. During the reading task, motor excitability was assessed by recording motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by single-pulse TMS (spTMS) over the left M1, at two loci in the sentence: the verb or the object. Results show that after sham stimulation (baseline), motor excitability measured on the verb, was reduced for negative, compared to affirmative action sentences. Crucially, neuromodulation of rIFG suppressed this inhibitory effect of negation, since motor excitability was equaled for negative and affirmative action sentences. As expected, no effect of negation was observed for attentional sentences or when the pulse was delivered over the object. Our study confirms that understanding negative action sentences inhibits M1. This effect took place at an early stage of semantic processing (i.e., while processing the verb in our task), and faded at a later time-point. Critically, by highlighting a causal role of rIFG in this motor inhibition, we provide direct neurophysiological support to the RIN hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Vitale
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Ilaria Monti
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Iván Padrón
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia and Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscience Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Campus di Cesena Cesena, Italy; Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad Católica Del Maule Talca, Chile
| | - Manuel de Vega
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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A pre-registered, multi-lab non-replication of the action-sentence compatibility effect (ACE). Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 29:613-626. [PMID: 34755319 PMCID: PMC9038876 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-01927-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The Action-sentence Compatibility Effect (ACE) is a well-known demonstration of the role of motor activity in the comprehension of language. Participants are asked to make sensibility judgments on sentences by producing movements toward the body or away from the body. The ACE is the finding that movements are faster when the direction of the movement (e.g., toward) matches the direction of the action in the to-be-judged sentence (e.g., Art gave you the pen describes action toward you). We report on a pre-registered, multi-lab replication of one version of the ACE. The results show that none of the 18 labs involved in the study observed a reliable ACE, and that the meta-analytic estimate of the size of the ACE was essentially zero.
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de Vega M, Dutriaux L, Moreno IZ, García-Marco E, Seigneuric A, Gyselinck V. Crossing hands behind your back reduces recall of manual action sentences and alters brain dynamics. Cortex 2021; 140:51-65. [PMID: 33933930 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The embodied meaning approach posits that understanding action-related language recruits motor processes in the brain. However, the functional impact of these motor processes on cognition has been questioned. The present study aims to provide new electrophysiological (EEG) evidence concerning the role of motor processes in the comprehension and memory of action language. Participants read lists of sentences including manual-action or attentional verbs, while keeping their hands either in front of them or crossing them behind their back. Results showed that posture impacted selectively the processing of manual action sentence, and not of attentional sentences, in three different ways: 1) EEG fronto-central beta rhythms, a signature of motor processes, were desynchronized while reading action sentences in the hands-in-front posture compared to the hands-behind posture. The estimated source was the posterior cingulate cortex, involved in proprioceptive regulation. 2) Recall of nouns associated with manual sentences decreased when learning occurred in the hands-behind posture. 3) ERPs analysis revealed that the initial posture at learning modulates neural processes during subsequent recall of manual sentences in the left superior frontal gyrus, which is related to motor processes. These results provide decisive evidence for the functional involvement of embodied simulations in the encoding and retrieval of action-related language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel de Vega
- Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Spain
| | - Léo Dutriaux
- Université de Paris, LMC(2), Paris, France; University of Trento, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), Trento, Italy.
| | - Iván Z Moreno
- Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Spain
| | - Enrique García-Marco
- Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Spain; Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Europea de Canarias, La Orotava, Spain
| | - Alix Seigneuric
- EA4403 (UTRPP-LLSHS), MEDIALECT (Structure Fédérative de Recherche), Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, France
| | - Valérie Gyselinck
- Université Gustave Eiffel, Université de Paris, LaPEA, Versailles, France
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Rodrigo MJ, Muñetón-Ayala M, de Vega M. Exploring the Co-occurrence of Manual Verbs and Actions in Early Mother-Child Communication. Front Psychol 2020; 11:596080. [PMID: 33240185 PMCID: PMC7683411 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.596080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The embodiment approach has shown that motor neural networks are involved in the processing of action verbs. There is developmental evidence that embodied effects on verb processing are already present in early years. Yet, the ontogenetic origin of this motor reuse in action verbs remains unknown. This longitudinal study investigates the co-occurrence of manual verbs and actions during mother-child daily routines (free play, bathing, and dining) when children were 1 to 2 (Group 1) and 2 to 3 (Group 2) years old. Eight mother-child dyads were video-recorded in 3-month intervals across 12 months (27 recording hours), and the timing of verbs and manual actions (21,876 entries) were coded by independent observers. Results showed that the probability of matched verb-action co-occurrences were much higher (0.80 and 0.77) than that of random co-occurrences (0.13 and 0.15) for Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. The distributions of the verb-action temporal intervals in both groups were quite symmetrical and skewed with the peak corresponding to both 0.00 s synchronic intervals (8% of the cases) and the shortest +5 s interval (40% of the cases). Mother-led instances occurred in both groups whereas child-led instances were restricted to Group 2. Mothers pragmatically aligned their verbal productions, since they repeatedly used (74%) those verbs they shared with their children's repertoire (31%). In conclusion, the early multisensory communicative and manipulative scene affords grounding of verb meanings on the ongoing actions, facilitating verb-action pairing in the realm of social interactions, providing a new dimension to the prevailing solipsistic approach to embodiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Rodrigo
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | | | - Manuel de Vega
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencias, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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19
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Vitale F, Padrón I, Avenanti A, de Vega M. Enhancing Motor Brain Activity Improves Memory for Action Language: A tDCS Study. Cereb Cortex 2020; 31:1569-1581. [PMID: 33136142 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The embodied cognition approach to linguistic meaning posits that action language understanding is grounded in sensory-motor systems. However, evidence that the human motor cortex is necessary for action language memory is meager. To address this issue, in two groups of healthy individuals, we perturbed the left primary motor cortex (M1) by means of either anodal or cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), before participants had to memorize lists of manual action and attentional sentences. In each group, participants received sham and active tDCS in two separate sessions. Following anodal tDCS (a-tDCS), participants improved the recall of action sentences compared with sham tDCS. No similar effects were detected following cathodal tDCS (c-tDCS). Both a-tDCS and c-tDCS induced variable changes in motor excitability, as measured by motor-evoked potentials induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Remarkably, across groups, action-specific memory improvements were positively predicted by changes in motor excitability. We provide evidence that excitatory modulation of the motor cortex selectively improves performance in a task requiring comprehension and memory of action sentences. These findings indicate that M1 is necessary for accurate processing of linguistic meanings and thus provide causal evidence that high-order cognitive functions are grounded in the human motor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Vitale
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 38200, Spain
| | - Iván Padrón
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 38200, Spain
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Alma Mater Studiorum-Università di Bologna, Cesena 47521, Italy
- Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Manuel de Vega
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Santa Cruz de Tenerife 38200, Spain
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20
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Bidet-Ildei C, Beauprez SA, Badets A. A review of literature on the link between action observation and action language: advancing a shared semantic theory. NEW IDEAS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2019.100777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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21
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Liu B, Gu B, Beltrán D, Wang H, de Vega M. Presetting an inhibitory state modifies the neural processing of negated action sentences. An ERP study. Brain Cogn 2020; 143:105598. [PMID: 32645511 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
It has been proposed that understanding negated action sentences (You don't cut the bread) uses the neural networks of action inhibition. The evidence comes from studies in which affirmative or negative action language immediately preceded a Go/NoGo task. It was found that negation selectively modulates inhibition-related signatures of NoGo trials, supporting the Reusing Inhibition for Negation (RIN) hypothesis. To further explore this hypothesis, this study tested the reverse effects; namely, how presetting an inhibitory state affects the processing of negated action sentences. To this end, Go/NoGo responses preceded sentence reading and EEG activities were recorded throughout the entire trials. ERP results indicate that the presetting of inhibition by the NoGo cue induced a sustained modulation of waveform for negated action sentences relative to affirmative ones, which began shortly after the negation operator onset and remained beyond the action verb onset. Crucially, the estimated sources of such effect were the right inferior frontal gyrus and the left middle frontal gyrus, both relevant regions in the action inhibition circuitry. These results, complemented by previous findings, support the idea that action inhibition and negated action language share neural mechanisms and influence each other, thus confirming and extending the RIN hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Liu
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Beixian Gu
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - David Beltrán
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Psicología Cognitiva, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Huili Wang
- Institute for Language and Cognition, School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Manuel de Vega
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Departamento de Psicología Cognitiva, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
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22
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Birba A, Beltrán D, Martorell Caro M, Trevisan P, Kogan B, Sedeño L, Ibáñez A, García AM. Motor-system dynamics during naturalistic reading of action narratives in first and second language. Neuroimage 2020; 216:116820. [PMID: 32278096 PMCID: PMC7412856 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Do embodied semantic systems play different roles depending on when and how well a given language was learned? Emergent evidence suggests that this is the case for isolated, decontextualized stimuli, but no study has addressed the issue considering naturalistic narratives. Seeking to bridge this gap, we assessed motor-system dynamics in 26 Spanish-English bilinguals as they engaged in free, unconstrained reading of naturalistic action texts (ATs, highlighting the characters’ movements) and neutral texts (NTs, featuring low motility) in their first and second language (L1, L2). To explore functional connectivity spread over each reading session, we recorded ongoing high-density electroencephalographic signals and subjected them to functional connectivity analysis via a spatial clustering approach. Results showed that, in L1, AT (relative to NT) reading involved increased connectivity between left and right central electrodes consistently implicated in action-related processes, as well as distinct source-level modulations in motor regions. In L2, despite null group-level effects, enhanced motor-related connectivity during AT reading correlated positively with L2 proficiency and negatively with age of L2 learning. Taken together, these findings suggest that action simulations during unconstrained narrative reading involve neural couplings between motor-sensitive mechanisms, in proportion to how consolidated a language is. More generally, such evidence addresses recent calls to test the ecological validity of motor-resonance effects while offering new insights on their relation with experiential variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Birba
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - David Beltrán
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, 3820, Spain
| | - Miguel Martorell Caro
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | | | - Boris Kogan
- Institute of Basic and Applied Psychology and Technology (IPSIBAT), National University of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Agency of Scientific and Technological Promotion (ANPCyT), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucas Sedeño
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - Agustín Ibáñez
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina; Centre of Excellence in Cognition and Its Disorders, Australian Research Council (ARC), Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia; Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago de Chile, 7550344, Chile; Universidad Autónoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, 08002, Colombia
| | - Adolfo M García
- Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1425FQB, Argentina; Faculty of Education, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, M5502JMA, Argentina; Departamento de Lingüística y Literatura, Facultad de Humanidades, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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Hand-use norms for Dutch and English manual action verbs: Implicit measures from a pantomime task. Behav Res Methods 2020; 52:1744-1767. [PMID: 32185639 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-020-01347-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Many studies use manual action verbs to test whether people use neural systems for controlling manual actions to understand language about those actions. Yet, few of these studies empirically establish how people use their hands to perform the actions described by those verbs, relying instead on explicit self-report measures. Here, participants pantomimed the manual actions described by a large set of Dutch (N = 251) and English (N = 250) verbs, allowing us to approximate the extent to which people use each of their hands to perform these actions. After the pantomime task, participants also provided explicit ratings of each of these actions. The results from the pantomime task showed that most manual actions cannot be described accurately as either "unimanual" or "bimanual." With a few exceptions, unimanual action verbs do not describe actions that are performed with only one hand, and bimanual verbs do not describe actions that are performed by using both hands equally. Instead, individual actions vary continuously in the extent to which people use their non-dominant hand to perform them, and in the extent to which people consistently prefer one hand or the other to perform them. Finally, by comparing participants' implicit behavior to their explicit ratings, we found that participants' self-report showed only limited correspondence with their observed motor behavior. We provide all of our measures in both raw and summary format, offering researchers a precision tool for constructing stimulus sets for experiments on embodied cognition.
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Tian L, Chen H, Zhao W, Wu J, Zhang Q, De A, Leppänen P, Cong F, Parviainen T. The role of motor system in action-related language comprehension in L1 and L2: An fMRI study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2020; 201:104714. [PMID: 31790907 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2019.104714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The framework of embodied cognition has challenged the modular view of a language-cognition divide by suggesting that meaning-retrieval critically involves the sensory-motor system. Despite extensive research into the neural mechanisms underlying language-motor coupling, it remains unclear how the motor system might be differentially engaged by different levels of linguistic abstraction and language proficiency. To address this issue, we used fMRI to quantify neural activations in brain regions underlying motor and language processing in Chinese-English speakers' processing of literal, metaphorical, and abstract language in their L1 and L2. Results overall revealed a response in motor ROIs gradually attenuating in intensity from literal to abstract via metaphorical language in both L1 and L2. Furthermore, contrast analyses between L1 and L2 showed overall greater activations of motor ROIs in the L2. We conclude that motor involvement in language processing is graded rather than all-or-none and that the motor system has a dual-functional role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Tian
- School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland; Language and Brain Research Center, Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing 400031, China
| | - Hongjun Chen
- School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
| | - Wei Zhao
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Jianlin Wu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian 116001, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian 116001, China
| | - Ailing De
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian 116001, China
| | - Paavo Leppänen
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
| | - Fengyu Cong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; Faculty of Information Technology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
| | - Tiina Parviainen
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland; Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland.
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Beltrán D, Morera Y, García-Marco E, de Vega M. Brain Inhibitory Mechanisms Are Involved in the Processing of Sentential Negation, Regardless of Its Content. Evidence From EEG Theta and Beta Rhythms. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1782. [PMID: 31440181 PMCID: PMC6694754 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The two-step process account of negation understanding posits an initial representation of the negated events, followed by a representation of the actual state of events. On the other hand, behavioral and neurophysiological studies provided evidence that linguistic negation suppresses or reduces the activation of the negated events, contributing to shift attention to the actual state of events. However, the specific mechanism of this suppression is poorly known. Recently, based on the brain organization principle of neural reuse (Anderson, 2010), it has been proposed that understanding linguistic negation partially relies upon the neurophysiological mechanisms of response inhibition. Specifically, it was reported that negated action-related sentences modulate EEG signatures of response inhibition (de Vega et al., 2016; Beltrán et al., 2018). In the current EEG study, we ponder whether the reusing of response inhibition processes by negation is constrained to action-related contents or consists of a more general-purpose mechanism. To this end, we employed the same dual-task paradigm as in our prior study—a Go/NoGo task embedded into a sentence comprehension task—but this time including both action and non-action sentences. The results confirmed that the increase of theta power elicited by NoGo trials was modulated by negative sentences, compared to their affirmative counterparts, and this polarity effect was statistically similar for both action- and non-action-related sentences. Thus, a general-purpose inhibitory control mechanism, rather than one specific for action language, is likely operating in the comprehension of sentential negation to produce the transition between alternative representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Beltrán
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.,Departamento de Psicología Cognitiva, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Yurena Morera
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.,Departamento de Psicología Cognitiva, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Enrique García-Marco
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.,Centro Asociado de La Laguna, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Spain.,Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Europea de Canarias, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
| | - Manuel de Vega
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.,Departamento de Psicología Cognitiva, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
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26
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Wang H, Li J, Wang X, Jiang M, Cong F, de Vega M. Embodiment Effect on the Comprehension of Mandarin Manual Action Language: An ERP Study. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2019; 48:713-728. [PMID: 30656462 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-018-09627-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Embodiment theories argue that language comprehension involves activating specific sensory-motor systems in the brain. Previous research performed in English and other Indo-European languages suggests that, when compared to compatible sentences referring to the same actions performed sequentially (e.g. 'After cleaning the wound he unrolled the bandage'), incompatible sentences describing two manual actions performed simultaneously by an agent (e.g. 'While cleaning the wound he unrolled the bandage') were worse understood and increased the event-related potentials (ERPs) component N400. The present ERP research aims to further investigate brain response to motor compatibility in native Mandarin speakers. The Chinese experimental sentences described two manual actions either in incongruent conditions marked by the Chinese parallel structure … … ('yibian…yibian…'/'while… while…') or congruent conditions marked by the sequential structure … … ('xian…ranhou…'/'firstly… then…'). The last action clause elicited larger fronto-central N400 in the incongruent condition, which reveals that there are semantic embodiment effects on the comprehension of Mandarin manual action language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huili Wang
- Institute for Language and Cognition, School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2 Linggong Road, Ganjingzi District, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jianrong Li
- Institute for Language and Cognition, School of Foreign Languages, Dalian University of Technology, No. 2 Linggong Road, Ganjingzi District, Dalian, 116024, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoshuang Wang
- Biomedical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
| | - Meng Jiang
- Language and Brain Center, Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing, 400031, Sichuan, China
| | - Fengyu Cong
- Biomedical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024, China
- Faculty of Information Technology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Manuel de Vega
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia (IUNE), Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain
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27
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Zappa A, Bolger D, Pergandi JM, Mallet P, Dubarry AS, Mestre D, Frenck-Mestre C. Motor resonance during linguistic processing as shown by EEG in a naturalistic VR environment. Brain Cogn 2019; 134:44-57. [PMID: 31128414 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Embodied cognition studies have shown motor resonance during action language processing, indicating that linguistic representations are at least partially multimodal. However, constraints of this activation linked to linguistic and extra-linguistic context, function and timing have not yet been fully explored. Importantly, embodied cognition binds social and physical contexts to cognition, suggesting that more ecologically valid contexts will yield more valid measures of cognitive processing. Herein, we measured cortical motor activation during language processing in a fully immersive Cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE). EEG was recorded while participants engaged in a Go/No-Go task. They heard action verbs and, for Go trials, performed a corresponding action on a virtual object. ERSP (event-related spectral perturbation) was calculated during verb processing, corresponding to the pattern of power suppression (event-related desynchronization - ERD) and enhancement (event-related synchronization - ERS) relative to the reference interval. Significant ERD emerged during verb processing in both the µ (8-13 Hz) and beta band (20-30 Hz) for both Go and No-Go trials. µ ERD emerged in the 400-500 msec time window, associated with lexical-semantic processing. Greater µ ERD emerged for Go compared to No-Go trials. The present results provide compelling evidence in a naturalistic setting of how motor and linguistic processes interact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Zappa
- Aix-Marseille Univ, France; Laboratoire Parole et Langage, France; Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, France; Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain, France.
| | - Deirdre Bolger
- Aix-Marseille Univ, France; Laboratoire Parole et Langage, France; Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain, France; Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, France
| | - Jean-Marie Pergandi
- Aix-Marseille Univ, France; Institute of Movement Sciences, France; Mediterranean Virtual Reality Center, France
| | - Pierre Mallet
- Aix-Marseille Univ, France; Institute of Movement Sciences, France; Mediterranean Virtual Reality Center, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Dubarry
- Aix-Marseille Univ, France; Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, France; Laboratoire Parole et Langage, France
| | - Daniel Mestre
- Aix-Marseille Univ, France; Institute of Movement Sciences, France; Mediterranean Virtual Reality Center, France; Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, France; Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain, France
| | - Cheryl Frenck-Mestre
- Aix-Marseille Univ, France; Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, France; Laboratoire Parole et Langage, France; Institute of Language, Communication and the Brain, France
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28
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How meaning unfolds in neural time: Embodied reactivations can precede multimodal semantic effects during language processing. Neuroimage 2019; 197:439-449. [PMID: 31059796 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on how the brain construes meaning during language use has prompted two conflicting accounts. According to the 'grounded view', word understanding involves quick reactivations of sensorimotor (embodied) experiences evoked by the stimuli, with simultaneous or later engagement of multimodal (conceptual) systems integrating information from various sensory streams. Contrariwise, for the 'symbolic view', this capacity depends crucially on multimodal operations, with embodied systems playing epiphenomenal roles after comprehension. To test these contradictory hypotheses, the present magnetoencephalography study assessed implicit semantic access to grammatically constrained action and non-action verbs (n = 100 per category) while measuring spatiotemporally precise signals from the primary motor cortex (M1, a core region subserving bodily movements) and the anterior temporal lobe (ATL, a putative multimodal semantic hub). Convergent evidence from sensor- and source-level analyses revealed that increased modulations for action verbs occurred earlier in M1 (∼130-190 ms) than in specific ATL hubs (∼250-410 ms). Moreover, machine-learning decoding showed that trial-by-trial classification peaks emerged faster in M1 (∼100-175 ms) than in the ATL (∼345-500 ms), with over 71% accuracy in both cases. Considering their latencies, these results challenge the 'symbolic view' and its implication that sensorimotor mechanisms play only secondary roles in semantic processing. Instead, our findings support the 'grounded view', showing that early semantic effects are critically driven by embodied reactivations and that these cannot be reduced to post-comprehension epiphenomena, even when words are individually classified. Briefly, our study offers non-trivial insights to constrain fine-grained models of language and understand how meaning unfolds in neural time.
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29
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Salo VC, Ferrari PF, Fox NA. The role of the motor system in action understanding and communication: Evidence from human infants and non-human primates. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 61:390-401. [PMID: 30315570 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2018] [Revised: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that activation of the motor system during observation of actions, a phenomenon first observed in non-human primates, underlies action understanding and even communication. This review (a) examines the evidence on motor system activity as an underlying neural correlate of action understanding; (b) reviews the theoretical and empirical work linking action understanding and the development of communication, with a specific focus on the role that gestures play as an intermediary; and (c) discusses the research on and existing opportunities for understanding the link between the motor system and communication in both humans and non-human primates, through the lens of action perception. Bringing together findings and perspectives from developmental social cognition in both humans and non-human primates and applying recent neuroscientific perspectives will help to elucidate the processes underlying the ability to understand and communicate with others.
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30
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Beltrán D, Muñetón-Ayala M, de Vega M. Sentential negation modulates inhibition in a stop-signal task. Evidence from behavioral and ERP data. Neuropsychologia 2018. [PMID: 29518413 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Embodiment theories claim that language meaning involves sensory-motor simulation processes in the brain. A challenge for these theories, however, is to explain how abstract words, such as negations, are processed. In this article, we test the hypothesis that understanding sentential negation (e.g., You will not cut the bread) reuses the neural circuitry of response inhibition. Participants read manual action sentences with either affirmative or negative polarity, embedded in a Stop-Signal paradigm, while their EEG was recorded. The results showed that the inhibition-related N1 and P3 components were enhanced by successful inhibition. Most important, the early N1 amplitude was also modulated by sentence polarity, producing the largest values for successful inhibitions in the context of negative sentences, whereas no polarity effect was found for failing inhibition or go trials. The estimated neural sources for N1 effects revealed activations in the right inferior frontal gyrus, a typical inhibition-related area. Also, the estimated stop-signal reaction time was larger in trials with negative sentences. These results provide strong evidence that action-related negative sentences consume neural resources of response inhibition, resulting in less efficient processing in the Stop-Signal task.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Beltrán
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Mercedes Muñetón-Ayala
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Manuel de Vega
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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31
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Action-Related Speech Modulates Beta Oscillations During Observation of Tool-Use Gestures. Brain Topogr 2018; 31:838-847. [DOI: 10.1007/s10548-018-0641-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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32
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Gianelli C. Embodied language and perspective taking in light of movement disorders. Cortex 2018; 100:226-231. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Bechtold L, Ghio M, Lange J, Bellebaum C. Event-related desynchronization of mu and beta oscillations during the processing of novel tool names. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2018; 177-178:44-55. [PMID: 29421271 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
According to the embodied cognition framework, the formation of conceptual representations integrates the type of experience during learning. In this electroencephalographic study, we applied a linguistic variant of a training paradigm, in which participants learned to associate novel names to novel tools while either manipulating or visually exploring them. The analysis focused on event-related desynchronization (ERD) of oscillations in the mu and beta frequency range, which reflects activation of sensorimotor brain areas. After three training sessions, processing names of manipulated tools elicited a stronger ERD of the beta (18-25 Hz, 140-260 ms) and the lower mu rhythm (8-10 Hz, 320-440 ms) than processing names of visually explored tools, reflecting a possible reactivation of experiential sensorimotor information. Given the unexpected result that familiarized pseudo-words elicited an ERD comparable to names of manipulated tools, our findings could reflect a suppression of sensorimotor activity during the processing of objects with exclusively visual features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bechtold
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Marta Ghio
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Joachim Lange
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian Bellebaum
- Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
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34
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Semantic discrimination impacts tDCS modulation of verb processing. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17162. [PMID: 29215039 PMCID: PMC5719444 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17326-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor cortex activation observed during body-related verb processing hints at simulation accompanying linguistic understanding. By exploiting the up- and down-regulation that anodal and cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) exert on motor cortical excitability, we aimed at further characterizing the functional contribution of the motor system to linguistic processing. In a double-blind sham-controlled within-subjects design, online stimulation was applied to the left hemispheric hand-related motor cortex of 20 healthy subjects. A dual, double-dissociation task required participants to semantically discriminate concrete (hand/foot) from abstract verb primes as well as to respond with the hand or with the foot to verb-unrelated geometric targets. Analyses were conducted with linear mixed models. Semantic priming was confirmed by faster and more accurate reactions when the response effector was congruent with the verb's body part. Cathodal stimulation induced faster responses for hand verb primes thus indicating a somatotopical distribution of cortical activation as induced by body-related verbs. Importantly, this effect depended on performance in semantic discrimination. The current results point to verb processing being selectively modifiable by neuromodulation and at the same time to a dependence of tDCS effects on enhanced simulation. We discuss putative mechanisms operating in this reciprocal dependence of neuromodulation and motor resonance.
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35
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Time-Frequency Analysis of Mu Rhythm Activity during Picture and Video Action Naming Tasks. Brain Sci 2017; 7:brainsci7090114. [PMID: 28878193 PMCID: PMC5615255 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7090114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 08/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This study used whole-head 64 channel electroencephalography to measure changes in sensorimotor activity—as indexed by the mu rhythm—in neurologically-healthy adults, during subvocal confrontation naming tasks. Independent component analyses revealed sensorimotor mu component clusters in the right and left hemispheres. Event related spectral perturbation analyses indicated significantly stronger patterns of mu rhythm activity (pFDR < 0.05) during the video condition as compared to the picture condition, specifically in the left hemisphere. Mu activity is hypothesized to reflect typical patterns of sensorimotor activation during action verb naming tasks. These results support further investigation into sensorimotor cortical activity during action verb naming in clinical populations.
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36
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Schaller F, Weiss S, Müller HM. EEG beta-power changes reflect motor involvement in abstract action language processing. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2017; 168:95-105. [PMID: 28189047 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Brain oscillations in the α- and β-range become suppressed during motor processing and motor imagery. It has recently been discussed that such power changes also occur during action language processing. In our study, we compared β2-oscillations (16-25Hz) during the observation of prototypical arm movements (revealed via motion tracking) as well as during semantic processing of concrete and abstract sentences containing arm-related action verbs. Whereas we did find a strong desynchronization in the β2-range during action observation, the processing of action sentences evoked a rather weak desynchronization. However, this desynchronization occurred for action verbs in both concrete and abstract contexts. These results might indicate a tendency for abstract action language to be processed similar to concrete action language rather than abstract sentences. The oscillation patterns reflect the close relationship between language comprehension and motor functions - one of the core claims of current theories on embodied cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Schaller
- Experimental Neurolinguistics Group, Bielefeld University, Universitaetsstrasse 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Cognitive Interaction Technology" (CITEC), Inspiration 1, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Sabine Weiss
- Experimental Neurolinguistics Group, Bielefeld University, Universitaetsstrasse 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Cognitive Interaction Technology" (CITEC), Inspiration 1, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany.
| | - Horst M Müller
- Experimental Neurolinguistics Group, Bielefeld University, Universitaetsstrasse 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany; Cluster of Excellence "Cognitive Interaction Technology" (CITEC), Inspiration 1, 33619 Bielefeld, Germany.
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37
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Understanding approach and avoidance in verbal descriptions of everyday actions: An ERP study. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2017; 17:612-624. [PMID: 28194745 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-017-0500-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Understanding verbal descriptions of everyday actions could involve the neural representation of action direction (avoidance and approach) toward persons and things. We recorded the electrophysiological activity of participants while they were reading approach/avoidance action sentences that were directed toward a target: a thing/a person (i.e., "Petra accepted/rejected Ramón in her group"/ "Petra accepted/rejected the receipt of the bank"). We measured brain potentials time locked to the target word. In the case of things, we found a N400-like component with right frontal distribution modulated by approach/avoidance action. This component was more negative in avoidance than in approach sentences. In the case of persons, a later negative event-related potential (545-750 ms) with left frontal distribution was sensitive to verb direction, showing more negative amplitude for approach than avoidance actions. In addition, more negativity in approach-person sentences was associated with fear avoidance trait, whereas less negativity in avoidance-person sentences was associated with a greater approach trait. Our results support that verbal descriptions of approach/avoidance actions are encoded differently depending on whether the target is a thing or a person. Implications of these results for a social, emotional and motivational understanding of action language are discussed.
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Dimensional approaches to schizophrenia: A comparison of the Bern Psychopathology scale and the five-factor model of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Psychiatry Res 2016; 239:284-90. [PMID: 27043275 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Revised: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The aim was to examine to what extent the dimensions of the BPS map the five factors derived from the PANSS in order to explore the level of agreement of these alternative dimensional approaches in patients with schizophrenia. 149 inpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were recruited. Psychopathological symptoms were assessed with the Bern Psychopathology Scale (BPS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the association between the factors and the items of the BPS. The robustness of patterns was evaluated. An understandable overlap of both approaches was found for positive and negative symptoms and excitement. The PANSS positive factor was associated with symptoms of the affect domain in terms of both inhibition and disinhibition, the PANSS negative factor with symptoms of all three domains of the BPS as an inhibition and the PANSS excitement factor with an inhibition of the affect domain and a disinhibition of the language and motor domains. The results show that here is only a partial overlap between the system-specific approach of the BPS and the five-factor PANSS model. A longitudinal assessment of psychopathological symptoms would therefore be of interest.
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39
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Fino E, Menegatti M, Avenanti A, Rubini M. Enjoying vs. smiling: Facial muscular activation in response to emotional language. Biol Psychol 2016; 118:126-135. [PMID: 27164178 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2016.04.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 04/03/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The present study examined whether emotionally congruent facial muscular activation - a somatic index of emotional language embodiment can be elicited by reading subject-verb sentences composed of action verbs, that refer directly to facial expressions (e.g., Mario smiles), but also by reading more abstract state verbs, which provide more direct access to the emotions felt by the agent (e.g., Mario enjoys). To address this issue, we measured facial electromyography (EMG) while participants evaluated state and action verb sentences. We found emotional sentences including both verb categories to have valence-congruent effects on emotional ratings and corresponding facial muscle activations. As expected, state verb-sentences were judged with higher valence ratings than action verb-sentences. Moreover, despite emotional congruent facial activations were similar for the two linguistic categories, in a late temporal window we found a tendency for greater EMG modulation when reading action relative to state verb sentences. These results support embodied theories of language comprehension and suggest that understanding emotional action and state verb sentences relies on partially dissociable motor and emotional processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edita Fino
- Department of Psychology, SociaLab, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127 Bologna, Italy; Department of Sociology, Psychology and Education, SocialBrainLab, University Marin Barleti, Rr. Sami Frasheri, 41, 1000 Tirana, Albania.
| | - Michela Menegatti
- Department of Psychology, SociaLab, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Department of Psychology, Centre for studies and research in Cognitive Neuroscience (CsrNC), Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale Europa 980, 47521 Cesena, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Roma, Italy.
| | - Monica Rubini
- Department of Psychology, SociaLab, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
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40
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Tognoli E, Kelso JAS. The coordination dynamics of social neuromarkers. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:563. [PMID: 26557067 PMCID: PMC4617382 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behavior is a complex integrative function that entails many aspects of the brain’s sensory, cognitive, emotional and movement capacities. Its neural processes are seldom simultaneous but occur according to precise spatiotemporal choreographies, manifested by the coordination of their oscillations within and between brains. Methods with good temporal resolution can help to identify so-called “neuromarkers” of social function and aid in disentangling the dynamical architecture of social brains. In our ongoing research, we have used dual-electroencephalography (EEG) to study neuromarker dynamics during synchronic interactions in which pairs of subjects coordinate behavior spontaneously and intentionally (social coordination) and during diachronic transactions that require subjects to perceive or behave in turn (action observation, delayed imitation). In this paper, after outlining our dynamical approach to the neurophysiological basis of social behavior, we examine commonalities and differences in the neuromarkers that are recruited for both kinds of tasks. We find the neuromarker landscape to be task-specific: synchronic paradigms of social coordination reveal medial mu, alpha and the phi complex as contributing neuromarkers. Diachronic tasks recruit alpha as well, in addition to lateral mu rhythms and the newly discovered nu and kappa rhythms whose functional significance is still unclear. Social coordination, observation, and delayed imitation share commonality of context: in each of our experiments, subjects exchanged information through visual perception and moved in similar ways. Nonetheless, there was little overlap between their neuromarkers, a result that hints strongly of task-specific neural mechanisms for social behavior. The only neuromarker that transcended both synchronic and diachronic social behaviors was the ubiquitous alpha rhythm, which appears to be a key signature of visually-mediated social behaviors. The present paper is both an entry point and a challenge: much work remains to determine the nature and scope of recruitment of other neuromarkers, and to create theoretical models of their within- and between-brain dynamics during social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Tognoli
- Human Brain and Behavior Laboratory, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - J A Scott Kelso
- Human Brain and Behavior Laboratory, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL, USA ; Intelligent System Research Centre, Ulster University, Derry ~ Londonderry UK
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Lang FU, Stierlin AS, Stegmayer K, Walther S, Becker T, Jäger M. Factor structure of the Bern Psychopathology Scale in a sample of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Eur Psychiatry 2015; 30:880-4. [PMID: 26443057 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2015.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Revised: 07/20/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Bern Psychopathology Scale (BPS) is based on a system-specific approach to classifying the psychopathological symptom pattern of schizophrenia. It consists of subscales for three domains (language, affect and motor behaviour) that are hypothesized to be related to specific brain circuits. The aim of the study was to examine the factor structure of the BPS in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. METHODS One hundred and forty-nine inpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were recruited at the Department of Psychiatry II, Ulm University, Germany (n=100) and at the University Hospital of Psychiatry, Bern, Switzerland (n=49). Psychopathology was assessed with the BPS. The VARCLUS procedure of SAS(®) (a type of oblique component analysis) was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS Six clusters were identified (inhibited language, inhibited motor behaviour, inhibited affect, disinhibited affect, disinhibited language/motor behaviour, inhibited language/motor behaviour) which explained 40.13% of the total variance of the data. A binary division of attributes into an inhibited and disinhibited cluster was appropriate, although an overlap was found between the language and motor behaviour domains. There was a clear distinction between qualitative and quantitative symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The results argue for the validity of the BPS in identifying subsyndromes of schizophrenia spectrum disorders according to a dimensional approach. Future research should address the longitudinal assessment of dimensional psychopathological symptoms and elucidate the underlying neurobiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian U Lang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Ulm University, Ludwig-Heilmeyer-Street 2, 89312 Günzburg, Germany.
| | - Annabel S Stierlin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Ulm University, Ludwig-Heilmeyer-Street 2, 89312 Günzburg, Germany; Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Schwabstraße 13, 89075 Ulm, Germany
| | - Katharina Stegmayer
- University Hospital of Psychiatry, Bollingenstraße 111, 3000 Bern 60, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Walther
- University Hospital of Psychiatry, Bollingenstraße 111, 3000 Bern 60, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Becker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Ulm University, Ludwig-Heilmeyer-Street 2, 89312 Günzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Jäger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy II, Ulm University, Ludwig-Heilmeyer-Street 2, 89312 Günzburg, Germany
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