Mapping certain semantic reactions. Researchers concluded that "Brain areas that are used to perform an action are also needed to comprehend words related to that action." This would suggest that the semantic reaction to verbs has, in part, the activation of distinct parts of the brain. The Brain's Word Act, Science News, February 7, 2004, Vol. 165, No. 6, pp 83-84. See Motor/Sensory Homunculus and The Motor Homunculus for illustrations showing what parts of the brain correspond to what body parts. This research shows that the semantic reaction to reading a verb includes activation of parts of the brain involved in carrying out the action implied by the verb. A specific area or areas of the brain is involved in taking any particular action or even reading about (or thinking of) taking that action.
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