Enhancing Motor Brain Activity Improves Memory for Action Language: A tDCS Study

Vitale, Francesca; Padrón, Iván; Avenanti, Alessio; Vega, Manuel de

doi:10.1093/cercor/bhaa309

Cited by 24 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 100 publications

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“…These effects were in addition extended to short phrases including a verb and a noun in further experiments (de Vega et al, 2021; Dutriaux et al, 2019). The results obtained in these experiments suggest that motor simulation has a functional role in the encoding process (see also Villatte et al, 2021; Vitale et al, 2021).…”

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confidence: 67%

The Postural Effect on the Memory of Manipulable Objects

Dutriaux

Gyselinck

2021

Experimental Psychology

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Abstract. The grounded cognition approach posits the involvement of sensory-motor processes in the representation of knowledge. However, the functional impact of these processes on cognition has been questioned, and some authors have explored the effect of motor interference on memory to test causally this hypothesis. In a seminal study, Dutriaux and Gyselinck (2016) showed that keeping the hands behind the back during learning decreases the memory of manipulable objects, but not the memory of nonmanipulable objects. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the mechanism behind the effect of posture in memory observed by Dutriaux and Gyselinck. The present experiment replicated the posture manipulation during learning but asked participants to keep their hands behind the back during recall. Results showed a similar detrimental effect of the hands behind the back specific to manipulable objects. This shows that the mechanism behind this effect arises from postural interference rather than from a compatibility between the posture during learning and the posture during recall and adds new evidence in favor of the sensory-motor grounding of knowledge.

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confidence: 67%

The Postural Effect on the Memory of Manipulable Objects

Dutriaux

Gyselinck

2021

Experimental Psychology

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“…Moreover, our results suggest that the observed action-concept improvements were not mainly driven by CT, as this intervention was present in sham participants, who exhibited no pre-post differences. Still, our design does not reveal whether M1 atDCS alone is sufficient to induce analogous effects, or if it acts by boosting proto-effects induced by CT. Suggestively, M1 neurostimulation, on its own, has been observed to selectively modulate action-concept processing in healthy subjects [27,40,113,114]. Future studies should explore whether the same is possible in PD cohorts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Third, the present study did not include neurophysiological measures, which hinders complementary neurocognitive interpretations regarding the detected effect. Thus, new implementations of our design should integrate online or offline brain measures, as in previous work [58,64,66,113,120,121]. Fourth, since our study aimed to assess the impact of M1 stimulation on action-concept processing in PD, the design did not require inclusion of a healthy control group.…”

Section: Limitations and Avenues For Further Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rekindling Action Language: A Neuromodulatory Study on Parkinson’s Disease Patients

et al. 2021

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Impairments of action semantics (a cognitive domain that critically engages motor brain networks) are pervasive in early Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, no study has examined whether action semantic skills in persons with this disease can be influenced by non-invasive neuromodulation. Here, we recruited 22 PD patients and performed a five-day randomized, blinded, sham-controlled study to assess whether anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) over the primary motor cortex, combined with cognitive training, can boost action–concept processing. On day 1, participants completed a picture–word association (PWA) task involving action-verb and object-noun conditions. They were then randomly assigned to either an atDCS (n = 11, 2 mA for 20 m) or a sham tDCS (n = 11, 2 mA for 30 s) group and performed an online PWA practice over three days. On day 5, they repeated the initial protocol. Relative to sham tDCS, the atDCS group exhibited faster reaction times for action (as opposed to object) concepts in the post-stimulation test. This result was exclusive to the atDCS group and held irrespective of the subjects’ cognitive, executive, and motor skills, further attesting to its specificity. Our findings suggest that action-concept deficits in PD are distinctively grounded in motor networks and might be countered by direct neuromodulation of such circuits. Moreover, they provide new evidence for neurosemantic models and inform a thriving agenda in the embodied cognition framework.

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“…This is different from languages with a geocentric system-here, the references refer to points in space, distance, or directions of the world [55]. Hence, while learning geocentric languages is still underpinned by the brain's sensory-motor mechanisms [56,57], which is of great importance for the assimilation and representation of conceptual knowledge [56,58], it should be less embodied compared to the egocentric case [59][60][61][62]. Therefore, future research should take into account pairs of differently represented languages.…”

Section: Eduball and Non-native Language Learningmentioning

confidence: 98%

Physical Education with Eduball Stimulates Non-Native Language Learning in Primary School Students

Cichy

Kruszwicka

Palus

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Although the neuronal mechanisms of action and cognition are related, the division of intellectual and physical lessons is standard in schools. This is surprising, because numerous studies show that integrating physical education (PE) with teaching content stimulates critical skills. For example, several experiments indicate that Eduball-based PE (i.e., lessons in a sports hall during which students play team mini-games with educational balls with printed letters, numbers, and other signs) develops mathematical and language competencies. At the same time, the Eduball method does not slow down learners’ physical development. However, we have little knowledge about the effects of such techniques on non-native language learning. Consequently, the absence of incorporating core academic subjects into PE in dual-language schools or during foreign language education is exceptionally high. Here, we replicated the Eduball experiment, but with the goal of testing this method for non-native language learning. Thus, the intervention occurred in a dual-language primary school and we evaluated second language (L2) learning. As before, we used the technique of parallel groups (experimental and control); in both groups, there were three 45-min PE classes per week. In the experimental class, two of them were held using Eduball. After a half-year experiment, children from the experimental group (one second-grade, N = 14) improved their non-native language skills significantly more than their peers from the control group (one second-grade, N = 12). These findings demonstrate that Eduball-type intervention stimulates non-native language learning in children. Hence, our report suggests that specific body training forms can support L2 learning.

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Enhancing Motor Brain Activity Improves Memory for Action Language: A tDCS Study

Cited by 24 publications

References 100 publications

The Postural Effect on the Memory of Manipulable Objects

The Postural Effect on the Memory of Manipulable Objects

Rekindling Action Language: A Neuromodulatory Study on Parkinson’s Disease Patients

Physical Education with Eduball Stimulates Non-Native Language Learning in Primary School Students

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