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Syntax, action verbs, action semantics, and object semantics in Parkinson's disease: Dissociability, progression, and executive influences
Bocanegra Y, García AM, Pineda D, Buriticá O, Villegas A, Lopera F, Gómez D, Gómez-Arias C et al.. Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior, 2015-06-03
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Several studies have recently shown that basal ganglia (BG) deterioration leads to distinctive impairments in the domains of syntax, action verbs, and action semantics. In particular, such disruptions have been repeatedly observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. However, it remains unclear whether these deficits are language-specific and whether they are equally dissociable from other reported disturbances -viz., processing of object semantics. To address these issues, we administered linguistic, semantic, and executive function (EFs) tasks to two groups of non-demented PD patients, with and without mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI and PD-nMCI, respectively). We compared these two groups with each other and with matched samples of healthy controls. Our results showed that PD patients exhibited linguistic and semantic deficits even in the absence of MCI. However, not all domains were equally related to EFs and MCI across samples. Whereas EFs predicted disturbances of syntax and object semantics in both PD-nMCI and PD-MCI, they had no impact on action-verb and action-semantic impairments in either group. Critically, patients showed disruptions of action-verb production and action semantics in the absence of MCI and without any executive influence, suggesting a sui generis deficit present since early stages of the disease. These findings indicate that varied language domains are differentially related to the BG, contradicting popular approaches to neurolinguistics.
Key findings
- Several studies have recently shown that basal ganglia (BG) deterioration leads to distinctive impairments in the domains of syntax, action verbs, and action semantics.
- Our results showed that PD patients exhibited linguistic and semantic deficits even in the absence of MCI.
- These findings indicate that varied language domains are differentially related to the BG, contradicting popular approaches to neurolinguistics.
Why it matters
This study found that people with Parkinson's disease, even without mild cognitive impairment, showed language and semantic deficits related to basal ganglia deterioration. The findings are about Parkinson's disease and do not directly address treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Cortex: journal h-index 202 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 194 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 14.9 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 35 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Agustín M. Ibáñez: h-index 81 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas: institution h-index 639 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 3 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 12 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26103601) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2015.05.022
- PubMed: 26103601
- Original source →
- Free full text: CONICET Digital (CONICET) →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Bocanegra, Y., García, A. M., Pineda, D., Buriticá, O., Villegas, A., Lopera, F., et al. (2015). Syntax, action verbs, action semantics, and object semantics in Parkinson's disease: Dissociability, progression, and executive influences. Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2015.05.022
Vancouver
Bocanegra Y, García AM, Pineda D, Buriticá O, Villegas A, Lopera F, et al. Syntax, action verbs, action semantics, and object semantics in Parkinson's disease: Dissociability, progression, and executive influences. Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior. 2015. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2015.05.022. PMID: 26103601.
BibTeX
@article{bocanegra2015-26103601,
author = {Bocanegra, Y. and García, A. M. and Pineda, D. and Buriticá, O. and Villegas, A. and Lopera, F. and Gómez, D. and Gómez-Arias, C. and others},
title = {{Syntax, action verbs, action semantics, and object semantics in Parkinson's disease: Dissociability, progression, and executive influences}},
journal = {Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1016/j.cortex.2015.05.022},
pmid = {26103601},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2015.05.022}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 16.