Are abstract action words embodied? An fMRI investigation at the interface between language and motor cognition
The cognitive and neural representation of abstract words is still an open question for theories of embodied cognition. Generally, it is proposed that abstract words are grounded in the activation of sensorimotor or at least experiential properties, exactly as concrete words. Further behavioral theo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2013-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00125/full |
| _version_ | 1818035911416348672 |
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| author | Katrin eSakreida Claudia eScorolli Mareike M. Menz Stefan eHeim Stefan eHeim Stefan eHeim Anna M. Borghi Anna M. Borghi Ferdinand eBinkofski Ferdinand eBinkofski Ferdinand eBinkofski |
| author_facet | Katrin eSakreida Claudia eScorolli Mareike M. Menz Stefan eHeim Stefan eHeim Stefan eHeim Anna M. Borghi Anna M. Borghi Ferdinand eBinkofski Ferdinand eBinkofski Ferdinand eBinkofski |
| author_sort | Katrin eSakreida |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The cognitive and neural representation of abstract words is still an open question for theories of embodied cognition. Generally, it is proposed that abstract words are grounded in the activation of sensorimotor or at least experiential properties, exactly as concrete words. Further behavioral theories propose multiple representations evoked by abstract and concrete words. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging study to investigate the neural correlates of concrete and abstract multi-word expressions in an action context. Participants were required to read simple sentences which combined each concrete noun with an adequate concrete verb and an adequate abstract verb, as well as an adequate abstract noun with either kind of verbs previously used. Thus, our experimental design included a continuum from pure concreteness to mere abstractness. As expected, comprehension of both concrete and abstract language content activated the core areas of the sensorimotor neural network namely the left lateral (precentral gyrus) and medial (supplementary motor area) premotor cortex. While the purely concrete multi-word expressions elicited activations within the left inferior frontal gyrus (pars triangularis) and two foci within the left inferior parietal cortex, the purely abstract multi-word expressions were represented in the anterior part of left middle temporal gyrus that is part of the language processing system. Although the sensorimotor neural network is engaged in both concrete and abstract language contents, the present findings show that concrete multi-word processing relies more on the sensorimotor system, and abstract multi-word processing relies more on the linguistic system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:02:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8186bb99503f45c58001c32b450eb952 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:02:35Z |
| publishDate | 2013-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-8186bb99503f45c58001c32b450eb9522022-12-22T01:58:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612013-04-01710.3389/fnhum.2013.0012538159Are abstract action words embodied? An fMRI investigation at the interface between language and motor cognitionKatrin eSakreida0Claudia eScorolli1Mareike M. Menz2Stefan eHeim3Stefan eHeim4Stefan eHeim5Anna M. Borghi6Anna M. Borghi7Ferdinand eBinkofski8Ferdinand eBinkofski9Ferdinand eBinkofski10RWTH Aachen University, Medical FacultyUniversity of BolognaUniversity Medical Center Hamburg EppendorfRWTH Aachen University, Medical FacultyRWTH Aachen University, Medical FacultyResearch Centre JülichUniversity of BolognaNational Research CouncilRWTH Aachen University, Medical FacultyResearch Centre JülichJARA – Jülich Aachen Research AllianceThe cognitive and neural representation of abstract words is still an open question for theories of embodied cognition. Generally, it is proposed that abstract words are grounded in the activation of sensorimotor or at least experiential properties, exactly as concrete words. Further behavioral theories propose multiple representations evoked by abstract and concrete words. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging study to investigate the neural correlates of concrete and abstract multi-word expressions in an action context. Participants were required to read simple sentences which combined each concrete noun with an adequate concrete verb and an adequate abstract verb, as well as an adequate abstract noun with either kind of verbs previously used. Thus, our experimental design included a continuum from pure concreteness to mere abstractness. As expected, comprehension of both concrete and abstract language content activated the core areas of the sensorimotor neural network namely the left lateral (precentral gyrus) and medial (supplementary motor area) premotor cortex. While the purely concrete multi-word expressions elicited activations within the left inferior frontal gyrus (pars triangularis) and two foci within the left inferior parietal cortex, the purely abstract multi-word expressions were represented in the anterior part of left middle temporal gyrus that is part of the language processing system. Although the sensorimotor neural network is engaged in both concrete and abstract language contents, the present findings show that concrete multi-word processing relies more on the sensorimotor system, and abstract multi-word processing relies more on the linguistic system.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00125/fullfMRILanguage comprehensionabstractsensorimotor cortexconcrete |
| spellingShingle | Katrin eSakreida Claudia eScorolli Mareike M. Menz Stefan eHeim Stefan eHeim Stefan eHeim Anna M. Borghi Anna M. Borghi Ferdinand eBinkofski Ferdinand eBinkofski Ferdinand eBinkofski Are abstract action words embodied? An fMRI investigation at the interface between language and motor cognition Frontiers in Human Neuroscience fMRI Language comprehension abstract sensorimotor cortex concrete |
| title | Are abstract action words embodied? An fMRI investigation at the interface between language and motor cognition |
| title_full | Are abstract action words embodied? An fMRI investigation at the interface between language and motor cognition |
| title_fullStr | Are abstract action words embodied? An fMRI investigation at the interface between language and motor cognition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Are abstract action words embodied? An fMRI investigation at the interface between language and motor cognition |
| title_short | Are abstract action words embodied? An fMRI investigation at the interface between language and motor cognition |
| title_sort | are abstract action words embodied an fmri investigation at the interface between language and motor cognition |
| topic | fMRI Language comprehension abstract sensorimotor cortex concrete |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00125/full |
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