Word-induced postural changes reflect a tight interaction between motor and lexico-semantic representations

• Kinematic analyses reveal a coupling between lexico-semantic access and postural control.
• Listening to action verbs, but not mental-state verbs, disrupts postural control during quiet standing.
• The results support overlap in neural processing of action words and whole-body motor functions.

A tight coupling between lexico-semantic access and motor control has been established on the basis of neuropsychological, neurophysiological, and behavioral evidence. For example, sensory and motor cortices have been shown to be active when subjects listen to words denoting bodily actions. Kinematic analyses of subjects' motor actions during the processing of linguistic stimuli provide further insights into the nature and time-course of this relationship. However, such studies have largely focused on individual body parts, in particular the upper limbs, thus neglecting the effect of language processing on lower or whole body representations. The present study bridges this gap by evaluating the interaction between linguistic processing and whole-body postural control during quiet standing. The results reveal a systematic influence of passive listening to action verbs, but not mental-state verbs, on measures of postural control, pointing to a clear and specific neural link between words conveying action concepts and whole-body motor functions.