Abstract：
The relation between the action verb semantic processing and sensorimotor experience remains controversial. In this study, we examined whether plasticity changes in brain are specifically related to semantic processing of foot action verbs when long-term motor training is mainly aimed at the foot. To address this question, we acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans and behavioral data from a verb two-choice task from female expertise football players and football novices. We compared the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) differences between experts and novices using motor execution regions and general semantic regions (left anterior temporal lobe, lATL) as seed, and explored the neural correlates of behavioral performance. Here, the drift rate (v) parameter of the drift diffusion model (DDM) was used to capture the semantic processing capability. We found experts showed increased correlation between lATL subregions and important brain regions for motor processing, including supplementary motor area (SMA), bilateral paracentral lobule (PL), superior parietal lobule and inferior parietal lobule, in contrast to novices. Further predictive model analysis showed the FC found in rsFC analysis can significantly predict drift rate of foot action verb in both experts and novices, but not drift rate of hand action verb. Our findings therefore establish a connection between effector-related semantic processing and the plasticity changes in brain functional connectivity, attributable to long-term foot-related motor training. This provides evidence supporting the view that semantic processing is fundamentally rooted in the sensorimotor system.
摘要：
动作动词语义处理与感觉运动体验之间的关系仍然存在争议。在这项研究中,当长期运动训练主要针对足部时，我们研究了大脑的可塑性变化是否与足部动作动词的语义处理特别相关。为了解决这个问题，我们从女性专长足球运动员和足球新手的动词二选一任务中获得了静息态功能磁共振成像扫描和行为数据.我们使用运动执行区域和一般语义区域（左颞叶，lATL)作为种子，并探索行为表现的神经相关性。这里,漂移扩散模型（DDM）的漂移率（v）参数用于捕获语义处理能力。我们发现专家显示lATL亚区域和重要的大脑区域之间的相关性增加，包括辅助电机区域(SMA)，双侧旁中央小叶(PL),上顶叶小叶和下顶叶小叶，对比新手。进一步的预测模型分析表明，在rsFC分析中发现的FC可以显着预测专家和新手的脚动作动词的漂移率，但不是手动作动词的漂移率。因此，我们的发现在效应器相关的语义加工和大脑功能连接的可塑性变化之间建立了联系，可归因于长期足部相关运动训练。这提供了支持语义处理从根本上植根于感觉运动系统的观点的证据。
