The involvement of the left motor cortex in learning of a novel action word lexicon.
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The involvement of the left motor cortex in learning of a novel action word lexicon. / Liuzzi, Gianpiero; Freundlieb, Nils; Ridder, Volker; Hoppe, Julia; Heise, Kirstin-Friederike; Zimerman, Maximo; Dobel, Christian; Enriquez-Geppert, Stefanie; Gerloff, Christian; Zwitserlood, Pienie; Hummel, Friedhelm.
In: CURR BIOL, Vol. 20, No. 19, 19, 2010, p. 1745-1751.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The involvement of the left motor cortex in learning of a novel action word lexicon.
AU - Liuzzi, Gianpiero
AU - Freundlieb, Nils
AU - Ridder, Volker
AU - Hoppe, Julia
AU - Heise, Kirstin-Friederike
AU - Zimerman, Maximo
AU - Dobel, Christian
AU - Enriquez-Geppert, Stefanie
AU - Gerloff, Christian
AU - Zwitserlood, Pienie
AU - Hummel, Friedhelm
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Current theoretical positions assume that action-related word meanings are established by functional connections between perisylvian language areas and the motor cortex (MC) according to Hebb's associative learning principle. To test this assumption, we probed the functional relevance of the left MC for learning of a novel action word vocabulary by disturbing neural plasticity in the MC with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). In combination with tDCS, subjects learned a novel vocabulary of 76 concrete, body-related actions by means of an associative learning paradigm. Compared with a control condition with "sham" stimulation, cathodal tDCS reduced success rates in vocabulary acquisition, as shown by tests of novel action word translation into the native language. The analysis of learning behavior revealed a specific effect of cathodal tDCS on the ability to associatively couple actions with novel words. In contrast, we did not find these effects in control experiments, when tDCS was applied to the prefrontal cortex or when subjects learned object-related words. The present study lends direct evidence to the proposition that the left MC is causally involved in the acquisition of novel action-related words.
AB - Current theoretical positions assume that action-related word meanings are established by functional connections between perisylvian language areas and the motor cortex (MC) according to Hebb's associative learning principle. To test this assumption, we probed the functional relevance of the left MC for learning of a novel action word vocabulary by disturbing neural plasticity in the MC with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). In combination with tDCS, subjects learned a novel vocabulary of 76 concrete, body-related actions by means of an associative learning paradigm. Compared with a control condition with "sham" stimulation, cathodal tDCS reduced success rates in vocabulary acquisition, as shown by tests of novel action word translation into the native language. The analysis of learning behavior revealed a specific effect of cathodal tDCS on the ability to associatively couple actions with novel words. In contrast, we did not find these effects in control experiments, when tDCS was applied to the prefrontal cortex or when subjects learned object-related words. The present study lends direct evidence to the proposition that the left MC is causally involved in the acquisition of novel action-related words.
M3 - SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz
VL - 20
SP - 1745
EP - 1751
JO - CURR BIOL
JF - CURR BIOL
SN - 0960-9822
IS - 19
M1 - 19
ER -
