Advances in Cognitive Sciences

fa مقایسه توان شبیه‌سازی حرکتی کودکان فلج مغزی و کودکان سالم: نقش شناخت جسمی‌شده Comparing the ability of motor simulation in children with cerebral palsy and typical children: The role of embodied cognition علوم اعصاب شناختی پژوهشي اصیل Research <div style="text-align: justify;">مقدمه: در دستور ساخت‌مدار جسمی‌شده، درک زبان مبتنی بر شبیه‌سازی معنایی صورت می‌گیرد. پژوهش‌های عصب‌شناسی زبان نیز نشان داده‌اند که درک و تولید زبان مستقل از دیگر توانایی‌های شناختی نیست و دانش زبان جسمی‌شده است. پژوهش حاضر با همین رویکرد به بررسی چگونگی ارتباط بین سیستم‌های حرکتی و پردازش افعال حرکتی و همچنین تأثیر آن بر شبیه‌سازی حرکتی کودکان فلج مغزی می‌پردازد. روش کار: پژوهش حاضر یک مطالعه توصیفی_تحلیلی از نوع موردی_شاهدی است که در آن 13 دانشآموز 7 تا 12 ساله مبتلا به فلج مغزی (6 پسر و 7 دختر) از آموزشگاه استثنایی ویژه کودکان با محدودیت‌های جسمی و حرکتی و همچنین مدارس عادی (تلفیقی) در شهر شیراز با داشتن معیارهای ورود به مطالعه انتخاب و با همسالان طبیعی خود مورد مقایسه قرار گرفتند. یافته‌ها: داده‌های به دست آمده از آزمون شبیه‌سازی حرکتی نشان داد که تفاوت بین میانگین مدت زمان پاسخگویی به افعال همخوان، ناهمخوان با عضو مشابه و ناهمخوان با عضو متفاوت در دو گروه فلج مغزی و سالم در سطح 0/001>P از لحاظ آماری معنادار است. نتیجه‌گیری: نتایج این پژوهش نشان داد که شناخت از جسم جدا نیست، بلکه تحت تأثیر توانایی‌های حسی - حرکتی و تجربیات آن شکل گرفته است. از آنجا که شناسایی پردازش‌های زبانی سیستم‌های حسی_حرکتی در سنین پایین مهم است، تعریف و تبیین این مفاهیم می‌تواند به درک بهتر و بازنمایی دقیق‌تر این مفاهیم در حافظه و درک کلمات مرتبط در کودکان فلج مغزی فارسی زبان کمک کند.  </div> Introduction In cognitive linguistics, researchers argue that but the entire cognitive system influences language structure, not just specific brain areas. Embodied Construction Grammar (ECG) connects language to the sensory-motor system and human conceptual experiences. Grounded-embodied theories suggest that bodily interactions with the physical and social environment shape language and thought. In this context, motor simulation is crucial for understanding language. Research shows that comprehending language activates the motor and pre-motor cortex, specifically in response to motor language involving specific body parts like the hands, feet, and mouth. Motor experiences are highly significant from infancy. Children continually develop their motor foundations during this period through various learning processes. Children’s growth and development begin with these basic movements. Motor experiences, such as interacting with the physical environment and objects and communicating with parents, are the main foundations of cognitive-motor development, which can lead to the perception and even conceptualization of movement. However, a key unresolved debate is how motor impairment in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) affects motor cortex involvement while processing action verbs. This study, the first of its kind, investigates this issue to inform diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for children with CP. Methods This descriptive-analytical case-control study involved two groups of Persian-speaking children aged 7 to 12. The first group consisted of 13 children with CP (6 boys, 7 girls; mean age=9.38±1.50), recruited from special schools for children with developmental disabilities. Special schools or classes are provided for children with special educational needs for special consideration and support, following the mainstream curriculum in normal education settings. The second group, comprising 13 Typically Developing (TD) children (6 boys, 7 girls; mean age=9.38±1.45), was selected from public schools. Both groups were matched for age, gender, socio-economic status, and grade level. The CP group excluded children with neuropsychiatric comorbidities, intellectual disabilities, or metabolic, genetic, and epileptic disorders. All participants had normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing, and their developmental quotient/IQ fell within normal limits. They could use the keys on a computer keyboard. These factors were obtained according to school documentation of general health care screening programs regarding the outcomes of interviews with parents of children and examination of children by an experienced child psychologist, an optometrist, and an audiologist. Regarding a standard scale of mobility and manual function, 54% of children were classified at level III (walks with a power wheelchair), and 46% of children were classified at level II (walks with a walker). Lack of parental consent, scheduling problems, and non-compliance with inclusion criteria prevented their enrollment. The experimental task involved 12 black-and-white stick-figure images representing action verbs related to body parts (hands and feet). Each image was paired with three types of Persian verbs: (1) a matching verb, (2) a same-effector mismatch verb (using the same body part but unrelated to the image), and (3) a different-effector mismatch verb (using a different body part). In order to use images that appropriately describe specific motor actions, facial details were intentionally removed. As a result, 36 verb-image pairs were presented to participants. Results Descriptive statistics categorized the data based group (CP vs. TD) and verb type (matching, same-effector mismatch, different-effector mismatch). The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test confirmed the normality of data distribution. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to explore inter-variable relationships, with a significance threshold of P<0.05. Of the 26 participants, 13 were assigned to the case group, and the remaining 13 formed the control group. Overall, 12 boys (46.15%) and 14 girls (53.84%) enrolled in the study. Without considering the type of verb in the CP group, the minimum reaction time was 2.14 seconds, and in the control group, it was 1.04 seconds. The percentage of non-response in the control and CP groups was 0.4% and 1.5%, respectively. A significant difference was found between the two groups in all verb types. CP participants had slower Reaction Times (RTs) across the board, including Matching verbs [CP Mean=4.36, TD Mean=3.06 (P<0.001)], Same-effector mismatches [CP Mean=4.12, TD Mean=3.23 (P<0.001)], and Different-effector mismatches [CP mean=4.26, TD mean=3.41 (P<0.001)]. Additionally, TD children outperformed CP children in the frequency of correct responses across all verb types, including Matching verbs (CP=60.3%, TD=80.8%), Same-effector mismatches (CP=59.6%, TD=64.1%), and Different-effector mismatches (CP=67.9%, TD=76.3%). Repeated measures ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post-hoc tests indicated no significant effect of verb types on RTs in the CP group. However, significant differences were observed between matching and different-effector non-matching conditions in the TD group. Conclusion This study aimed to ascertain how embodied cognition plays an essential role in understanding language related to action verbs among children with CP. Currently, a wealth of evidence indicates that sensory and motor grounding is essential for action-language comprehension, but little is known about their potential contributions to processing motor simulation in children with CP. Predominantly, the present investigation intended to identify how the motor simulation of the CP groups differ from those of TD peers and address any significant differences in reaction time across conditions in each group. The present study highlights the role of embodied cognition in understanding action verbs, particularly in children with CP. Sensory-motor grounding is essential for action-language comprehension, but children with CP show distinct differences in motor simulation compared to their TD peers. These findings add to the growing number of studies highlighting the complex nature of verb impairments in specific populations Because of the interaction between sensorimotor cortex activation and psychological factors, they suggest that cognition is inseparable from the body and is shaped by sensory-motor experiences. Early identification of linguistic processing deficits in sensory-motor systems can aid in better memory representation and understanding related words, specifically in Persian-speaking children with CP. Beyond, their theoretical significance, the present findings have practical implications for CP children. Recognizing information about how these patients perceive movement, has implications for choosing timely and tailored interventions, therapeutic approaches, and individualized education plans. Ethical Considerations Compliance with ethical guidelines The study received ethical approval (IR.US.REC.1401.007) from Shiraz University. In compliance with ethical considerations, before evaluating and recording the information, the research team obtained consent forms from parents for the participation of their children in the study. Notably, participation in the study was entirely voluntary, and the participants could leave the study at any time. In addition, participating in this study would not result in any additional costs or side effects for the participants. The research team also assured the parents that all information about their children would remain confidential. Authors’ contributions Preparing the original draft and data collection: Sanaz Tajadini; methodology, data analysis, and conclusion: Sanaz Tajadini, Alireza Khormaee, Mohammad Nami, Amirsaeid Moloodi, and Hamidreza Farpour. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Funding This study was part of a PhD dissertation supported by Shiraz University. Acknowledgments The authors thank the participating schools and the Dana Brain Health Institute for facilitating data collection. Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest in relation to this study.   شناخت جسمی‌شده؛ شبیه‌سازی حرکتی؛ افعال حرکتی؛ کودکان فلج مغزی؛ کودکان سالم Embodied cognition, Motor simulation, Action verbs, Children with cerebral palsy, Typical children 56 69 http://icssjournal.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1114-2&slc_lang=fa&sid=1 Sanaz Tajadini ساناز تاج‌الدینی 100319475328460017598 100319475328460017598 No PhD Student in Linguistics, Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, School of Literature and Humanities, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran دانشجوی دکتری زبان‌شناسی، بخش زبان‌های خارجی و زبان‌شناسی، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، دانشگاه شیراز، شیراز، ایران Alireza Khormaee علیرضا خرمایی Akhormaee@shirazu.ac.ir 100319475328460017599 100319475328460017599 Yes Associate Professor of Linguistics, Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, School of Literature and Humanities, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran دانشیار زبان‌شناسی، بخش زبان‌های خارجی و زبان‌شناسی، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، دانشگاه شیراز، شیراز، ایران Mohammad Nami محمد نامی 100319475328460017600 100319475328460017600 No Assistant Professor of Cognitive Neuropsychology and Neuroscience, Department of Social Sciences, Canadian University Dubai, Dubai, UAE استادیار علوم اعصاب شناختی، بخش علوم اجتماعی، دانشگاه کانادایی دُبی، دُبی، امارات متحده عربی Amirsaeid Moloodi امیرسعید مولودی 100319475328460017601 100319475328460017601 No Assistant Professor of Linguistics, Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics, School of Literature and Humanities, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran استادیار زبان‌شناسی، بخش زبان‌های خارجی و زبان‌شناسی، دانشکده ادبیات و علوم انسانی، دانشگاه شیراز، شیراز، ایران Hamidreza Farpour حمیدرضا فرپور 100319475328460017602 100319475328460017602 No Associate Professor, Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Research Center, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran دانشیار، مرکز تحقیقات ارتوپدی و توان‌بخشی، گروه طب فیزیکی و توان‌بخشی، دانشکده پزشکی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی شیراز، شیراز، ایران