RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Enhancing Motor Brain Activity Improves Memory for Action Language: A tDCS Study A1 Vitale, Francesca A1 Padrón González, Iván A1 Avenanti, Alessio A1 Vega Rodríguez, Manuel de K1 action language K1 embodied cognition K1 memory K1 motor cortex K1 transcranial direct current stimulation AB The embodied cognition approach to linguistic meaning posits that action language understanding is grounded insensory–motor systems. However, evidence that the human motor cortex is necessary for action language memory ismeager. To address this issue, in two groups of healthy individuals, we perturbed the left primary motor cortex (M1) bymeans of either anodal or cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), before participants had to memorize listsof manual action and attentional sentences. In each group, participants received sham and active tDCS in two separatesessions. Following anodal tDCS (a-tDCS), participants improved the recall of action sentences compared with sham tDCS.No similar effects were detected following cathodal tDCS (c-tDCS). Both a-tDCS and c-tDCS induced variable changes inmotor excitability, as measured by motor-evoked potentials induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Remarkably,across groups, action-specific memory improvements were positively predicted by changes in motor excitability. Weprovide evidence that excitatory modulation of the motor cortex selectively improves performance in a task requiringcomprehension and memory of action sentences. These findings indicate that M1 is necessary for accurate processing oflinguistic meanings and thus provide causal evidence that high-order cognitive functions are grounded in the humanmotor system. YR 2021 FD 2021 LK http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/35598 UL http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/35598 LA en DS Repositorio institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna RD 15-jun-2024