Beyond semantic association : a TMS study investigating gestures, verbs, and the motor cortex

The following is a review that broadly examines literature on the links between language processing and the motor cortex. The review is arranged in four main sections. The first is an exploration of the traditional views of language processing, including both expression and comprehension. The second is an examination of the evolution of language, and how spoken language may be the descendant of manual communication. Within this second section, the review also examines the emerging literature on mirror-neurons and how they are involved in linking language and action. Third is an examination of the literature on manual communication including papers on both gesture and sign language. This section also reviews the studies that examine clinical disorders with symptoms that include deficits in both language and motor function. Last is a review of the literature on the neurocognitive studies that have examined the links between motor cortex and the processing of motor related language. This section includes literature on language studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation over the motor cortex.