title: The effects of rTMS over the primary motor cortex: the link between action and language.
abstract: Is the primary motor cortex (M1) necessary for language comprehension? The present study investigates the role of the primary motor cortex during verbs comprehension, within the framework of the embodied theories of language. We applied rTMS over the right and left hand portion of M1 and tested the effects of the stimulation toward the processing of hand-related action verbs versus abstract verbs. Results underlined a specific inhibition effect following left stimulation, only with hand-related action verbs. These findings seem to corroborate the hypothesis of a functional role of M1 in action verbs comprehension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, L.go Gemelli 1, 20121 Milan, Italy. claudia.repetto@unicatt.it
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Repetto
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cipresso
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Riva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006225:Hand / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult