Miguel A Alvarez - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Papers by Miguel A Alvarez
Psicológica, 2023
The polymorphisms (C270T) and Val66Met of the BDNF gene are related to diverse cognitive processe... more The polymorphisms (C270T) and Val66Met of the BDNF gene are related to diverse cognitive processes in neurological and psychiatric conditions. But little is known about its relations with cognitive processes in healthy people. The present study explored the relationship of the C270T and Val66Met polymorphisms with implicit memory (semantic and perceptual priming tasks), semantic explicit memory (lexical selection), and episodic explicit memory (free recall). In total, 135 healthy volunteers between 20 and 60 years of age (M = 27.94, SD = 11.04), 92 women (M = 27.36, SD = 11.32), and 42 men (M = 29.21, SD = 10.42), participated in the study. One hundred and three of them completed the genetic study of C270T (36 males and 67 females), and 123 completed the Val66Met (38 males and 85 females). Results regarding ValMet polymorphism showed lower scores for MetMet in free recall. In relation to C270T, TT polymorphism performed better in the visual priming task than CT. The potential value as biomarkers of memory of these polymorphisms is discussed.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2013
Converging neuroscientific evidence suggests the existence of close links between language and se... more Converging neuroscientific evidence suggests the existence of close links between language and sensorimotor cognition. Accordingly, during the comprehension of meaningful actions, our brain would recruit semantic-related operations similar to those associated with the processing of language information. Consistent with this view, electrophysiological findings show that the N400 component, traditionally linked to the semantic processing of linguistic material, can also be elicited by action-related material. This review outlines recent data from N400 studies that examine the understanding of action events. We focus on three specific domains, including everyday action comprehension, co-speech gesture integration, and the semantics involved in motor planning and execution. Based on the reviewed findings, we suggest that both negativities (the N400 and the action-N400) reflect a common neurocognitive mechanism involved in the construction of meaning through the expectancies created by previous experiences and current contextual information. To shed light on how this process is instantiated in the brain, a testable contextual fronto-temporo-parietal model is proposed.
Psicológica, 2023
The polymorphisms (C270T) and Val66Met of the BDNF gene are related to diverse cognitive processe... more The polymorphisms (C270T) and Val66Met of the BDNF gene are related to diverse cognitive processes in neurological and psychiatric conditions. But little is known about its relations with cognitive processes in healthy people. The present study explored the relationship of the C270T and Val66Met polymorphisms with implicit memory (semantic and perceptual priming tasks), semantic explicit memory (lexical selection), and episodic explicit memory (free recall). In total, 135 healthy volunteers between 20 and 60 years of age (M = 27.94, SD = 11.04), 92 women (M = 27.36, SD = 11.32), and 42 men (M = 29.21, SD = 10.42), participated in the study. One hundred and three of them completed the genetic study of C270T (36 males and 67 females), and 123 completed the Val66Met (38 males and 85 females). Results regarding ValMet polymorphism showed lower scores for MetMet in free recall. In relation to C270T, TT polymorphism performed better in the visual priming task than CT. The potential value as biomarkers of memory of these polymorphisms is discussed.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2013
Converging neuroscientific evidence suggests the existence of close links between language and se... more Converging neuroscientific evidence suggests the existence of close links between language and sensorimotor cognition. Accordingly, during the comprehension of meaningful actions, our brain would recruit semantic-related operations similar to those associated with the processing of language information. Consistent with this view, electrophysiological findings show that the N400 component, traditionally linked to the semantic processing of linguistic material, can also be elicited by action-related material. This review outlines recent data from N400 studies that examine the understanding of action events. We focus on three specific domains, including everyday action comprehension, co-speech gesture integration, and the semantics involved in motor planning and execution. Based on the reviewed findings, we suggest that both negativities (the N400 and the action-N400) reflect a common neurocognitive mechanism involved in the construction of meaning through the expectancies created by previous experiences and current contextual information. To shed light on how this process is instantiated in the brain, a testable contextual fronto-temporo-parietal model is proposed.