Dissociable electrophysiological correlates of semantic access of motor and non-motor concepts.

ABSTRACT: The notion of semantic embodiment posits that concepts are represented in the same neural sensorimotor systems that were involved in their acquisition. However, evidence in support of embodied semantics - in particular the hypothesised contribution of motor and premotor cortex to the representation of action concepts - is varied. Here, we tested the hypothesis that, consistent with semantic embodiment, sensorimotor cortices will rapidly become active while healthy participants access the meaning of visually-presented motor and non-motor action verbs. Event-related potentials revealed early differential processing of motor and non-motor verbs (164-203 ms) within distinct regions of cortex likely reflecting rapid cortical activation of differentially distributed semantic representations. How

SUBMITTER: Sokoliuk R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6686022 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature