Brain mechanisms linking language and action
Abstract
For a long time the cortical systems for language and actions were believed to be independent modules. However, as these systems are reciprocally connected with each other, information about language and actions might interact in distributed neuronal assemblies. A critical case is that of action words that are semantically related to different parts of the body (for example, 'lick', 'pick' and 'kick'): does the comprehension of these words specifically, rapidly and automatically activate the motor system in a somatotopic manner, and does their comprehension rely on activity in the action system?
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Neural representations of words consist of complex multimodal networks represented in sensory and motor brain areas in an experience-dependent way.
“Behavioral and neuroscientific studies suggest that the neural representations of words consist of complex multimodal networks represented in sensory and motor brain areas in an experience-dependent way [2,3].”
From Can grammatical morphemes be taught? Evidence of gestures influencing second language procedural learning in middle childhood (2023) · cites this paper as [3]
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“Behavioral and neuroscientific studies suggest that the neural representations of words consist of complex multimodal networks represented in sensory and motor brain areas in an experience-dependent way [2,3].”
Background
- Authors
- Pulvermüller, F.
- Venue
- Nature Reviews Neuroscience
- Published
- 2005-06-15
- Volume
- 6
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 576-582
- ISSN
- 1471-003X (ISSN-L)
- 1471-0048
- OpenAlex
- W1480711868
- Cited by
- 1,828
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 71 · 2025: 59 · 2024: 79 · 2023: 83 · 2022: 85 · 2021: 91 · 2020: 140 · 2019: 129 · 2018: 92 · 2017: 91 · 2016: 74 · 2015: 81 · 2014: 94 · 2013: 151 · 2012: 114
- FWCI
- 5.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature reviews. Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Embodied and Extended Cognition
- Keywords
- action words, semantic processing, somatotopic representation, action understanding, language comprehension
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Brain, Brain Mapping, Humans, Language, Functional Laterality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Models, Neurological, Motor Activity, Neural Pathways, Neurons, Verbal Behavior
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