Brain representations of verbs versus nouns EU-funded research addressed an important open question in cognitive processing, namely the conceptual representation of action. Insight into brain regions involved and the types of information they process will support restoration of function. Health © Thinkstock The way in which the brain processes and represents concepts brings meaning to our experiences, and the inability to do so after brain damage impairs both practical and social functioning. Most previous studies have focused on conceptual representations of objects (nouns) such as animals or tools. Scientists initiated the EU-funded project 'On the conceptual representation of actions' (ACTIONCONCEPTS) to gain a more complete picture of representation with a focus on verbs. To correlate processing with brain regions, the team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in healthy subjects. fMRI exploits real-time changes in blood flow as an indicator of brain activity during cognitive tasks. The first part of the project addressed whether or not the brain represents nouns and verbs in different brain regions and whether or not the regions are related to a conceptual or grammatical basis. Using fMRI, researchers identified verb-selective brain regions and then examined whether these regions were sensitive to a verb's grammatical usage. Specifically, they evaluated the correlation of brain activity with the frequency with which a verb took an object (valence or ratio of transitive to intransitive uses). Scientists showed that the left posterior middle temporal and inferior frontal gyri are in fact associated with valence. This finding suggests that grammatical class preference is driven by a word's predicative function – a breakthrough in the field that will have a strong impact on future research. Researchers went on to investigate whether language processing of action words takes place in the motor cortex in addition to more typical 'language' regions such as the left middle temporal cortex. Using fMRI and advanced representational analysis methods, researchers investigated the role of the motor cortex in conceptual processing of action phrases. Data analyses are nearly complete and promise to shed important light on the interesting phenomenon of language processing of action words and related brain regions. ACTIONCONCEPTS elaborated several interrelated issues of representation of action (verbs) in the brain using fMRI. Understanding high-level cognitive processes will lead to improved ability to treat disabilities during ageing, diseases and trauma. Keywords Cognitive processing, conceptual representation, action, brain damage, valence
