Role of Sensorimotor Cortex in Gestural-Verbal Integration
Action comprehension that is related to language or gestural integration has been shown to engage the motor system in the brain, thus providing preliminary evidence for the gestural-verbal embodiment concept. Based on the involvement of the sensorimotor cortex (M1) in language processing, we aimed t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00482/full |
| _version_ | 1818258498235924480 |
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| author | Dayana Hayek Dayana Hayek Agnes Flöel Agnes Flöel Daria Antonenko Daria Antonenko |
| author_facet | Dayana Hayek Dayana Hayek Agnes Flöel Agnes Flöel Daria Antonenko Daria Antonenko |
| author_sort | Dayana Hayek |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Action comprehension that is related to language or gestural integration has been shown to engage the motor system in the brain, thus providing preliminary evidence for the gestural-verbal embodiment concept. Based on the involvement of the sensorimotor cortex (M1) in language processing, we aimed to further explore its role in the cognitive embodiment necessary for gestural-verbal integration. As such, we applied anodal (excitatory) and sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left M1 (with reference electrode over the contralateral supraorbital region) during a gestural-verbal integration task where subjects had to make a decision about the semantic congruency of the gesture (prime) and the word (target). We used a cross-over within-subject design in young subjects. Attentional load and simple reaction time (RT) tasks served as control conditions, applied during stimulation (order of three tasks was counterbalanced). Our results showed that anodal (atDCS) compared to sham tDCS (stDCS) reduced RTs in the gestural-verbal integration task, specifically for incongruent pairs of gestures and verbal expressions, with no effect on control task performance. Our findings provide evidence for the involvement of the sensorimotor system in gestural-verbal integration performance. Further, our results suggest that functional modulation induced by sensorimotor tDCS may be specific to gestural-verbal integration. Future studies should now evaluate the modulatory effect of tDCS on semantic congruency by using tDCS over additional brain regions and include assessments of neural connectivity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T18:00:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a3dcfae378154e96866172f904b27b9b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-5161 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T18:00:30Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Human Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-a3dcfae378154e96866172f904b27b9b2022-12-22T00:16:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Human Neuroscience1662-51612018-12-011210.3389/fnhum.2018.00482423681Role of Sensorimotor Cortex in Gestural-Verbal IntegrationDayana Hayek0Dayana Hayek1Agnes Flöel2Agnes Flöel3Daria Antonenko4Daria Antonenko5Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Neurology, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyCharité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Neurology, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyCharité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Neurology, NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Berlin, GermanyDepartment of Neurology, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Greifswald, GermanyAction comprehension that is related to language or gestural integration has been shown to engage the motor system in the brain, thus providing preliminary evidence for the gestural-verbal embodiment concept. Based on the involvement of the sensorimotor cortex (M1) in language processing, we aimed to further explore its role in the cognitive embodiment necessary for gestural-verbal integration. As such, we applied anodal (excitatory) and sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left M1 (with reference electrode over the contralateral supraorbital region) during a gestural-verbal integration task where subjects had to make a decision about the semantic congruency of the gesture (prime) and the word (target). We used a cross-over within-subject design in young subjects. Attentional load and simple reaction time (RT) tasks served as control conditions, applied during stimulation (order of three tasks was counterbalanced). Our results showed that anodal (atDCS) compared to sham tDCS (stDCS) reduced RTs in the gestural-verbal integration task, specifically for incongruent pairs of gestures and verbal expressions, with no effect on control task performance. Our findings provide evidence for the involvement of the sensorimotor system in gestural-verbal integration performance. Further, our results suggest that functional modulation induced by sensorimotor tDCS may be specific to gestural-verbal integration. Future studies should now evaluate the modulatory effect of tDCS on semantic congruency by using tDCS over additional brain regions and include assessments of neural connectivity.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00482/fullbrain stimulationembodimentgestural-verbal associationcognitionlanguage processing |
| spellingShingle | Dayana Hayek Dayana Hayek Agnes Flöel Agnes Flöel Daria Antonenko Daria Antonenko Role of Sensorimotor Cortex in Gestural-Verbal Integration Frontiers in Human Neuroscience brain stimulation embodiment gestural-verbal association cognition language processing |
| title | Role of Sensorimotor Cortex in Gestural-Verbal Integration |
| title_full | Role of Sensorimotor Cortex in Gestural-Verbal Integration |
| title_fullStr | Role of Sensorimotor Cortex in Gestural-Verbal Integration |
| title_full_unstemmed | Role of Sensorimotor Cortex in Gestural-Verbal Integration |
| title_short | Role of Sensorimotor Cortex in Gestural-Verbal Integration |
| title_sort | role of sensorimotor cortex in gestural verbal integration |
| topic | brain stimulation embodiment gestural-verbal association cognition language processing |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00482/full |
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