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Gradual desynchronization of β2-oscillations during language comprehension. Parallels between action imagery and action language processing

Franziska Schaller1, 2*, Sabine Weiss1, 2 and Horst M. Müller1, 2
  • 1 Bielefeld University, Faculty for Linguistics and Literary Studies, Germany
  • 2 Bielefeld University, Cluster of Excellence “Cognitive Interaction Technology”,, Germany

A desynchronization of α- and β-oscillations has previously been observed during action execution (Pfurtscheller et al., 1996), motor imagery (Pfurtscheller & Neuper, 1997; de Lange et al., 2008) and concrete action language processing (van Elk et al., 2010; Klepp et al., 2015). For instance, Pfurtscheller et al. (1996) reported that EEG power in the β-range decreased during the execution of a motor task but increased soon afterwards (β-rebound). According to more recent findings, comparable brain oscillations occur during action language processing (van Elk et al., 2010; Klepp et al., 2015). α- and β-power decrease similar to that during “real” action execution or observation was detected during the processing of action-related concrete language. For instance, van Elk et al. (2010) conducted an EEG experiment with the aim to compare the processing of action verbs in a human versus an animal context. They presented concrete noun-verb pairs to participants and reported an early desynchronization in the µ-range (10 – 14 Hz) as well as a slightly later desynchronization in the β-band (20 – 30 Hz). Fargier et al. (2012) analyzed µ-rhythm (8 – 12 Hz) suppression in response to action video observation and corresponding novel verbal stimuli comprehension. They reported µ-rhythm suppression during action observation, which started between 200 and 400 ms post video onset. When presenting action verbs, µ-rhythm suppression was detected between 400 and 950 ms post stimulus onset. In two studies by Moreno et al. (2013, 2015), µ- and β-range behavior in response to action, abstract, and perceptive sentences was compared. µ-rhythm suppression (6 – 13 Hz) and marginal β-suppression (15 – 20 Hz) was reported for concrete action language stimuli. These electrophysiological studies suggest that an activation of sensorimotor areas is connected to concrete action language processing. The results of a great number of behavioral and fMRI studies further support this assumption (Klatzky et al., 1989; Hauk et al., 2004; Pulvermüller et al., 2005; D’Ausilio et al., 2009; Glenberg et al., 2010; Moseley & Pulvermüller, 2014) and partly revealed that motor areas are activated during the processing of abstract action language as well (e.g. pushing the argument) (Wilson & Gibbs, 2007; Glenberg et al., 2008; Desai et al., 2011, 2013; Romero Lauro et al., 2013; Schaller et al., 2016). However, respective effects seem to be weaker than those following concrete action language comprehension. In contrast to oscillations in the α-range, oscillations in the β-range during abstract language processing, and specifically during abstract action language processing, have rarely been analyzed and respective results are divergent (Weiss & Müller, 2012). In the current EEG study, we therefore investigated whether electrophysiological responses during the observation of a prototypical arm movement were similar to EEG changes during semantic processing of concrete and abstract sentences containing corresponding action verbs. We presented short video clips of prototypical movements and asked 26 participants to simultaneously imagine executing them while their EEG was recorded continuously from 27 active scalp electrodes. We compared concurrent β2-oscillations (16 – 25 Hz) to those during a still baseline condition. In a second experimental block, we aurally presented 98 sentences containing the corresponding action verbs in a concrete or an abstract context and compared respective β2-oscillations to those during non-action abstract sentences. We found a strong desynchronization in the β2-range during action observation/imagery compared to the baseline condition, which started about 200 ms post action onset. In contrast, the processing of action sentences evoked a rather weak desynchronization, starting about 1200 ms after verb onset. However, this desynchronization occurred for action verbs in both concrete and abstract contexts. The current findings are in accordance with results from an earlier behavioral study (Schaller et al., 2016). They support the assumption that abstract action language is processed similar to concrete action language rather than to abstract sentences. The oscillation patterns might reflect the close relationship between language comprehension and motor functions – one of the core claims of current theories on embodied cognition.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interaction Technology 'CITEC' (EXC 277) at Bielefeld University, which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

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Keywords: β2-oscillations, event related desynchronization, Abstract language, Action language, embodiment

Conference: SAN2016 Meeting, Corfu, Greece, 6 Oct - 9 Oct, 2016.

Presentation Type: Poster Presentation in SAN2016 Conference

Topic: Posters

Citation: Schaller F, Weiss S and Müller HM (2016). Gradual desynchronization of β2-oscillations during language comprehension. Parallels between action imagery and action language processing. Conference Abstract: SAN2016 Meeting. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2016.220.00062

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Received: 29 Jul 2016; Published Online: 01 Aug 2016.

* Correspondence: Miss. Franziska Schaller, Bielefeld University, Faculty for Linguistics and Literary Studies, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany, franziska.schaller@uni-bielefeld.de