Neural dissociations between action verb understanding and motor imagery

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
Roel M WillemsDaniel Casasanto

Abstract

According to embodied theories of language, people understand a verb like throw, at least in part, by mentally simulating throwing. This implicit simulation is often assumed to be similar or identical to motor imagery. Here we used fMRI to test whether implicit simulations of actions during language understanding involve the same cortical motor regions as explicit motor imagery. Healthy participants were presented with verbs related to hand actions (e.g., to throw) and nonmanual actions (e.g., to kneel). They either read these verbs (lexical decision task) or actively imagined performing the actions named by the verbs (imagery task). Primary motor cortex showed effector-specific activation during imagery, but not during lexical decision. Parts of premotor cortex distinguished manual from nonmanual actions during both lexical decision and imagery, but there was no overlap or correlation between regions activated during the two tasks. These dissociations suggest that implicit simulation and explicit imagery cued by action verbs may involve different types of motor representations and that the construct of "mental simulation" should be distinguished from "mental imagery" in embodied theories of language.

References

Oct 1, 1989·Trends in Neurosciences·M J Farah
Dec 1, 1984·Cognition·S Pinker
Nov 21, 1995·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·E BondaA Evans
Jul 1, 1994·Trends in Neurosciences·S M Kosslyn, K N Ochsner
May 1, 1995·Psychophysiology·D J ChwillaP Hagoort
Aug 1, 1994·Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance·L M Parsons
Aug 29, 1996·Nature·S GeyerP E Roland
May 1, 1997·Neuropsychologia·M D'EspositoM J Farah
Oct 19, 1999·Human Brain Mapping·A M Dale
Jun 22, 2000·NeuroImage·D J McGonigleA P Holmes
Oct 29, 2000·Cerebral Cortex·E GerardinD Le Bihan
Dec 29, 2000·Nature Neuroscience·D M Wolpert, Z Ghahramani
Apr 17, 2001·The Behavioral and Brain Sciences·L W Barsalou
Jan 27, 2004·Neuron·Olaf HaukFriedemann Pulvermüller
Jan 27, 2004·NeuroImage·Marcel Adam JustPatricia A Carpenter
Oct 22, 2004·Nature·Paul Cisek, John F Kalaska
Feb 11, 2005·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Floris P de LangeIvan Toni
Mar 2, 2005·The Behavioral and Brain Sciences·Rick Grush
Apr 6, 2005·NeuroImage·Thomas NicholsJean-Baptiste Poline
Apr 7, 2005·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Marco TettamantiDaniela Perani
May 25, 2005·Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition·Jos J A Van BerkumPeter Hagoort
Jun 17, 2005·Nature Reviews. Neuroscience·Friedemann Pulvermüller
Dec 13, 2005·Cerebral Cortex·P E DowningN Kanwisher
Sep 9, 2006·NeuroImage·Floris P de LangeIvan Toni
Nov 23, 2006·NeuroImage·André J SzameitatAnnette Sterr
Apr 10, 2007·Brain and Language·Roel M Willems, Peter Hagoort
Apr 24, 2007·Neuropsychologia·Rick C HelmichIvan Toni
Nov 17, 2007·The European Journal of Neuroscience·André J SzameitatAnnette Sterr
Dec 7, 2007·Brain and Language·Marc SatoGiovanni Buccino
Apr 5, 2008·Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior·Floris P de LangeIvan Toni
May 2, 2008·Journal of Physiology, Paris·Bradford Z Mahon, Alfonso Caramazza
May 13, 2008·Journal of Physiology, Paris·Lisa Aziz-Zadeh, Antonio Damasio
Oct 1, 2008·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Kristiina RelanderTeija Kujala

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Aug 13, 2013·Brain and Language·Christopher A Kurby, Jeffrey M Zacks
Oct 14, 2010·Cerebral Cortex·Pascale Tremblay, Steven L Small
Jun 16, 2011·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Liuba PapeoRaffaella Ida Rumiati
Nov 22, 2011·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Barbara TomasinoMiran Skrap
Sep 14, 2012·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Liuba PapeoBarbara Tomasino
Jun 29, 2013·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Greig de ZubicarayKatie McMahon
Jan 15, 2014·Brain and Language·Anne KleppKatja Biermann-Ruben
Nov 16, 2013·Experimental Brain Research·Jie Yang, Hua Shu
Jan 25, 2014·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Shirley-Ann RueschemeyerJames Kilner
Mar 1, 2014·Brain Connectivity·Sarina Jennifer Iwabuchi, Ian J Kirk
Feb 5, 2014·Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience·Jie Yang
Jan 26, 2016·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Wessel O van Dam, Rutvik H Desai
Oct 28, 2015·NeuroImage·Natalia EgorovaFriedemann Pulvermüller
Nov 25, 2011·Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior·Zubaida Shebani, Friedemann Pulvermüller
Aug 26, 2011·Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior·Raphaël FargierTatjana A Nazir
Jul 14, 2010·NeuroImage·Wessel O van DamHarold Bekkering
Feb 22, 2014·Acta Psychologica·Alison W HeardDaniel N Bub
Jun 10, 2011·NeuroImage·Scott T Grafton, Christine M Tipper
Jan 15, 2014·Cerebral Cortex·Liuba PapeoAlfonso Caramazza
Apr 4, 2012·Neuropsychologia·Liuba Papeo, Jean-Remy Hochmann
Sep 18, 2012·Neuropsychologia·Rajesh K KanaLawrence W Ver Hoef
Jun 24, 2014·Neuropsychologia·Riccardo Dalla VoltaPietro Avanzini
Oct 14, 2014·Frontiers in Human Neuroscience·Natalie A Kacinik
Sep 23, 2014·Cognitive Processing·Christel Bidet-Ildei, Lucette Toussaint
Oct 10, 2015·Neuropsychologia·Dalya SamurRoel M Willems
Oct 14, 2016·Brain Imaging and Behavior·Tommaso GiliPaola Marangolo
Nov 25, 2016·Cognitive Science·Franziska SchallerHorst M Müller

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.