Syntax, action verbs, action semantics, and object semantics in Parkinson's disease: Dissociability, progression, and executive influences

Bocanegra, Yamile; García, Adolfo M.; Pineda, David; Buriticá, Omar; Villegas, Andrés; Lopera, Francisco; Gómez, Diana; Gómez-Arias, Catalina; Cardona, Juan F.; Trujillo, Natalia; Ibáñez, Agustín

doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2015.05.022

Cited by 150 publications

(171 citation statements)

References 120 publications

(151 reference statements)

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“…However, some studies failed to replicate a somatotopic organization of effector-specific action word representations in motor areas (Arévalo et al, 2007; Postle et al, 2008; for review see, Cardona et al, 2013). The functional significance of motor areas for action word processing has been also demonstrated in patients with neurodegenerative motor diseases, in which specific impairments in action verb processing was found (Bak, 2013; García and Ibáñez, 2014; Bocanegra et al, 2015). Recent theories thus propose a functional connection between language development and specific neuronal motor control (Glenberg and Gallese, 2012) and suggest a tight coupling of action and language such as the Hand-Action-Network Dynamic Language Embodiment model (García and Ibáñez, 2016b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Feature-Specific Event-Related Potential Effects to Action- and Sound-Related Verbs during Visual Word Recognition

Popp

Trumpp

Kiefer

2016

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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Grounded cognition theories suggest that conceptual representations essentially depend on modality-specific sensory and motor systems. Feature-specific brain activation across different feature types such as action or audition has been intensively investigated in nouns, while feature-specific conceptual category differences in verbs mainly focused on body part specific effects. The present work aimed at assessing whether feature-specific event-related potential (ERP) differences between action and sound concepts, as previously observed in nouns, can also be found within the word class of verbs. In Experiment 1, participants were visually presented with carefully matched sound and action verbs within a lexical decision task, which provides implicit access to word meaning and minimizes strategic access to semantic word features. Experiment 2 tested whether pre-activating the verb concept in a context phase, in which the verb is presented with a related context noun, modulates subsequent feature-specific action vs. sound verb processing within the lexical decision task. In Experiment 1, ERP analyses revealed a differential ERP polarity pattern for action and sound verbs at parietal and central electrodes similar to previous results in nouns. Pre-activation of the meaning of verbs in the preceding context phase in Experiment 2 resulted in a polarity-reversal of feature-specific ERP effects in the lexical decision task compared with Experiment 1. This parallels analogous earlier findings for primed action and sound related nouns. In line with grounded cognitions theories, our ERP study provides evidence for a differential processing of action and sound verbs similar to earlier observation for concrete nouns. Although the localizational value of ERPs must be viewed with caution, our results indicate that the meaning of verbs is linked to different neural circuits depending on conceptual feature relevance.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Feature-Specific Event-Related Potential Effects to Action- and Sound-Related Verbs during Visual Word Recognition

Popp

Trumpp

Kiefer

2016

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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“…The lack of an ACE effect in PD has been shown to be due to reduced motor potential, aberrant frontotemporal connectivity, and overall volume of basal ganglia atrophy (Melloni et al, 2015). Action language deficits have also been observed in language production: Bocanegra et al (2015) found disruptions of action verb production in PD patients compared to controls. Moreover, this deficit was unrelated to deficits in executive function or to mild cognitive impairment.…”

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confidence: 86%

Impaired Comprehension of Speed Verbs in Parkinson’s Disease

Speed

Dam

Hirath

et al. 2017

J Int Neuropsychol Soc

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Objective: A wealth of studies provide evidence for action simulation during language comprehension. Recent research suggests such action simulations might be sensitive to finegrained information, such as speed. Here we present a crucial test for action simulation of speed in language by assessing speed comprehension in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Based on the patients' motor deficits, we hypothesized that the speed of motion described in language would modulate their performance in semantic tasks. Specifically, they would have more difficulty processing language about relatively fast speed than language about slow speed. Method:We conducted a semantic similarity judgment task on fast and slow action verbs in patients with PD and age-matched healthy controls. Participants had to decide which of two verbs most closely matched a target word. Results: Compared to controls, PD patients were slower making judgments about fast action verbs, but not for judgments about slow action verbs, suggesting impairment in processing language about fast action. Moreover, this impairment was specific to verbs describing fast action performed with the hand. Conclusions:Problems moving quickly lead to difficulties comprehending language about moving quickly.This study provides evidence that speed is an important part of action representations.Keywords: embodiment; Parkinson's disease; action semantics; speed Speed -Speed Verbs in Parkinson's Disease 3 The view that meaning in language is represented in modality-specific brain regions (e.g., Binder & Desai, 2011) contrasts with proposals that meaning is stored in abstract, amodal systems (e.g., Landau & Dumais, 1997). There now exist a large number of studies demonstrating action simulation during language comprehension (for review see Fischer & Zwaan, 2008). A critical question, however, is the level of abstraction of action simulations; to what extent do they mirror real-world action? Embodied theories are underspecified in terms of how much information is contained in a simulation (Sanford, 2008), or at what grain information is represented.Action simulations include the specific effector used in the action (Hauk, Johnsrude, & Pulvermüller, 2004), or the specificity of the action . Recent research suggests even fine-grained temporal information is represented in action simulations: whether the action is fast or slow (Speed & Vigliocco, 2014;Speed & Vigliocco, 2015; van Dam, Speed, Lai, Vigliocco, & Desai, in press). Speed & Vigliocco (2014) showed online simulations are sensitive to speed: when listening to sentences describing fast and slow actions (e.g. The lion dashed to the balloon vs. The lion ambled to the balloon) looking time towards a concurrent visual scene was longer for slow actions compared to fast actions. Related, mental simulation is also sensitive to the degree of effort implied in a sentence (e.g., pushing the piano vs. pushing the chair) (Moody & Gennari, 2010).Studies of patients with motor deficits can provide strong tests of causali...

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“…and experience difficulty in resolving lexical and contextual ambiguities ( he picked up the spade— is this about gardening or playing cards?). A particular difficulty centres on retrieving action verbs/semantics,19 which in turn can dissociate from impairment of syntax and object semantics.…”

Section: Language Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communication changes in Parkinson’s disease

Miller

2017

Pract Neurol

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This review looks at the nature and impact of communication changes in Parkinson's disease, approaches to assessment and directions for intervention. This is especially important since medical and surgical interventions that help limb movement are largely ineffective, or even detrimental, for speech. Most people with Parkinson's disease notice changes to their communication. Voice alters early on-even in the prodromal stage. Later, articulation may impair intelligibility further. These changes impact on mood and social participation. However, a full characterisation of communication changes in Parkinson's must acknowledge that changes are far more pervasive and varied than a quiet voice. Communication is affected by marked dysprosody, cognitive-linguistic impairment, alterations to social interaction and pragmatics. Changes entail not just expressive elements but also receptive. A comprehensive evaluation of potential communication challenges faced by people with Parkinson's disease must cover all these aspects. Similarly, interventions that ignore the breadth and depth of changes will always remain incomplete.

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Syntax, action verbs, action semantics, and object semantics in Parkinson's disease: Dissociability, progression, and executive influences

Cited by 150 publications

References 120 publications

Feature-Specific Event-Related Potential Effects to Action- and Sound-Related Verbs during Visual Word Recognition

Feature-Specific Event-Related Potential Effects to Action- and Sound-Related Verbs during Visual Word Recognition

Impaired Comprehension of Speed Verbs in Parkinson’s Disease

Communication changes in Parkinson’s disease

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