Publications

Publication details [#1007]

Romero Lauro, L. J., G. Mattavelli, C. Papagno and M. Tettamanti. 2013. She runs, the road runs, my mind runs, bad blood runs between us: Literal and figurative motion verbs: An fMRI study. NeuroImage 83 : 361–371. 11 pp.
Publication type
Article in journal
Publication language
English
Keywords
Place, Publisher
Amsterdam: Elsevier

Abstract

This paper explores how the abstract vs. concrete nature of action words modulates the activation of motor and premotor areas of the brain. The authors describe an fMRI study carried out with normal subjects to test their comprehension of motion verbs that involve upper vs. lower limbs and that are used in either literal or metaphorical contexts. The study reveals that in comparison to literal language, metaphorical language produces a greater activation of a bilateral fronto-temporal network. Other important findings regard the multiple activation of fictive motion. As the authors conclude, premotor areas are activated by language understanding, but the degree of activation is dependent on the specific literal vs. metaphorical context where the motion verb occurs. Thus, findings support the thesis of weak embodiment by showing how the motor system is involved in the understanding of linguistically encoded actions.