Despite decades of research, the nature of the involvement of the motor system in action language processing is still controversial, and little is known about how processing action language relates to observing, imaging and executing motor actions. This study combines a systematic review of the literature, an ALE meta-analysis and a region-of-interest (ROI) meta-analysis to provide the first complete (qualitative and quantitative) account of the motor-related functional network involved in action language processing in comparison to activation reported during motor observation, motor imagery and motor execution. The review of the literature revealed that the methodology of action language studies differed considerably from the methodology of other motor-related processes which may have contributed to blurring the interpretations over the years. The ALE and ROI meta-analyses showed that the functional network of action language was more similar to observation than imagery and finally execution, following a motor gradation. Overall, our results point towards a more cognitive, as opposed to purely motoric, involvement of the motor system during action language processing.

尽管进行了数十年的研究，但是动作系统在动作语言处理中所涉及的性质仍存在争议，关于动作语言如何与观察，成像和执行动作相关联的知识鲜为人知。这项研究结合了系统的文献综述，ALE荟萃分析和关注区域（ROI）荟萃分析，以提供与动作语言有关的运动相关功能网络的第一个完整（定性和定量）描述与观察到的运动，观察到的运动图像和运动执行过程中报告的激活相比，该处理过程有所提高。对文献的回顾表明，动作语言研究的方法与其他与运动相关的过程的方法有很大不同，这可能导致多年来的解释模糊。ALE和ROI荟萃分析表明，动作语言的功能网络更像是观察，而不是图像，最后随着运动的分级而最终执行。总体而言，我们的研究结果表明，在动作语言处理过程中，与纯粹的运动相反，运动系统参与了更多的认知。