Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and a behavioral paradigm were used to assess whether listening to action-related sentences modulates the activity of the motor system. By means of single-pulse TMS, either the hand or the foot/leg motor area in the left hemisphere was stimulated in distinct experimental sessions, while participants were listening to sentences expressing hand and foot actions. Listening to abstract content sentences served as a control. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from hand and foot muscles. Results showed that MEPs recorded from hand muscles were specifically modulated by listening to hand-action-related sentences, as were MEPs recorded from foot muscles by listening to foot-action-related sentences. This modulation consisted of an amplitude decrease of the recorded MEPs. In the behavioral task, participants had to respond with the hand or the foot while listening to actions expressing hand and foot actions, as compared to abstract sentences. Coherently with the results obtained with TMS, when the response was given with the hand, reaction times were slower during listening to hand-action-related sentences, while when the response was given with the foot, reaction times were slower during listening to foot-action-related sentences. The present data show that processing verbally presented actions activates different sectors of the motor system, depending on the effector used in the listened-to action.

Listening to action-related sentences modulates the activity of the motor system: a combined TMS and behavioral study / Buccino, G; Riggio, Lucia; Melli, G; Binkofski, F; Gallese, Vittorio; Rizzolatti, Giacomo. - In: COGNITIVE BRAIN RESEARCH. - ISSN 0926-6410. - 24:(2005), pp. 355-363. [10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2005.02.020]

Listening to action-related sentences modulates the activity of the motor system: a combined TMS and behavioral study

RIGGIO, Lucia;GALLESE, Vittorio;RIZZOLATTI, Giacomo
2005-01-01

Abstract

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and a behavioral paradigm were used to assess whether listening to action-related sentences modulates the activity of the motor system. By means of single-pulse TMS, either the hand or the foot/leg motor area in the left hemisphere was stimulated in distinct experimental sessions, while participants were listening to sentences expressing hand and foot actions. Listening to abstract content sentences served as a control. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from hand and foot muscles. Results showed that MEPs recorded from hand muscles were specifically modulated by listening to hand-action-related sentences, as were MEPs recorded from foot muscles by listening to foot-action-related sentences. This modulation consisted of an amplitude decrease of the recorded MEPs. In the behavioral task, participants had to respond with the hand or the foot while listening to actions expressing hand and foot actions, as compared to abstract sentences. Coherently with the results obtained with TMS, when the response was given with the hand, reaction times were slower during listening to hand-action-related sentences, while when the response was given with the foot, reaction times were slower during listening to foot-action-related sentences. The present data show that processing verbally presented actions activates different sectors of the motor system, depending on the effector used in the listened-to action.
2005
Listening to action-related sentences modulates the activity of the motor system: a combined TMS and behavioral study / Buccino, G; Riggio, Lucia; Melli, G; Binkofski, F; Gallese, Vittorio; Rizzolatti, Giacomo. - In: COGNITIVE BRAIN RESEARCH. - ISSN 0926-6410. - 24:(2005), pp. 355-363. [10.1016/j.cogbrainres.2005.02.020]
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Cognitive Brain Research2005.pdf

non disponibili

Tipologia: Documento in Post-print
Licenza: NON PUBBLICO - Accesso privato/ristretto
Dimensione 233.84 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
233.84 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/1443719
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 551
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 504
social impact