The cerebellum and embodied semantics: evidence from a case of genetic ataxia due to STUB1 mutations

GARCIA AM; ABREVAYA S; KAZONO G; CORDOBA MARTA; KAUFFMAN MARCELO; PAUTASSI R; SEDENO L; IBANEZ A

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS

B M J PUBLISHING GROUP

Año: 2016 vol. 54 p. 114 - 124

0022-2593

Abundant research on lexicosemantic processing indicates that damage to movement-related regions (the motor and premotor cortices, Broca?s area and the basal ganglia1) distinctively impairs processing of action verbs, that is, verbs denoting bodily motion. Moreover, such deficits could be hereditary,2 suggesting an association with genetic factors. We, thus, hypothesised that genetically based deterioration of other motor regions could involve similar impair- ments. In particular, through a combination of structural and functional MRI ( fMRI) with genetic and behavioural analysis, this case study indicates that distinctive action- verb deficits can also be linked to genetic mutations affecting the cerebellum, a key motor hub implicated in balance, posture and movement coordination. Accordingly, in line with the embodied cognition frame- work, our data illuminate a potential func- tional specialisation of the cerebellum within the lexicosemantic domain.