Effect of semantic specificity on neural substrates of action verbs

• Grant number: 13/08244-6
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: September 01, 2013
• End date: August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Cognitive Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Maria Alice de Mattos Pimenta Parente
• Grantee: Maria Alice de Mattos Pimenta Parente
• Host Institution: Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição (CMCC). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: Santo André
• Associated researchers: André Mascioli Cravo ; João Ricardo Sato ; Maria Teresa Carthery Goulart

Abstract

According to the theory of Embodied Cognition semantic knowledge is grounded in input/output systems of specific modality and its representation is related to action neural substrates. These assumptions have been confirmed for mouth and leg movements but not for hands that represent great semantic variability due to the diversity of function and use of instruments, which may vary according to the specificity. This project intends to investigate whether the criterion of specificity is relevant for neurophysiologic processing of verbs and if it is dependent on the depth of processing. Firstly, judges will evaluate the level of specificity of hand movement verbs in Brazilian Portuguese. Then, other students will participate in three experimental tests that involve different levels of semantic processing: lexical decision, cue orientation and judgment of specificity, with simultaneous electrophysiological recording (EEG). We intend to develop an explanatory model that integrates behavioral data to the time of neural activation, obtained from recordings of high temporal resolution (EEG). The depth of processing may differentiate the neurophysiologic responses: earlier and with more frontal representations for nonspecific verbs and later and more posterior for the specific ones. This study is relevant for studies in lexical-semantics studies in the field of Neuroscience of Language and may provide suitable experiments for posterior Neuroimaging investigations with higher topographic definition tools and develop sensitive instruments to detect different semantic difficulties in patients with language disorders. (AU)