<p>In the recent years a growing interest in Cognitive Science has been directed to the cognitive role of the agent's ability to predict the consequences of their actions, without actual engagement with their environment. The creation of an experimental model for Hesslow's simulation hypothesis, based on the use of a simulated adaptive agent and the methods of evolutionary robotics within the general perspective of radical connectionism, is reported in this dissertation. A hierarchical architecture consisting of a mixture of (recurrent) experts is investigated in order to test its ability to produce an 'inner world', functional stand-in for the agent's interactions with its environment. Such a mock world is expected to be rich enough to sustain 'blind navigation', which means navigation based solely on the agent's own internal predictions. The results exhibit the system's vivid internal dynamics, its critical sensitivity to a high number of parameters and, finally, a discrepancy with the declared goal of blind navigation. However, given the dynamical complexity of the system, further analysis and testing appear necessary.</p>

In the last forty years, significant developments in neuroscience, psychology, and robotic technology have been cause for major trend changes in the philosophy of mind. One such shift has been the reallocation of focus from entirely brain-centered theories of mind to more embodied, embedded, and even extended answers to the questions, what are cognitive processes and where do we find such phenomena? Given that hypotheses such as Clark and Chalmers‘ (1998) Extended Mind or Hutto‘s (2006) Radical Enactivism, systematically undermine the organism-bound, internal, and static pictures of minds and allow instead for the distribution of cognitive processes among brains, bodies, and worlds, a worry that arises is that the very subject of cognitive science, the ‗cognizer‘ will be hopelessly opaque, its mind leaking out into the world all over the place, thereby making it impossible to rein in and properly study. A seemingly unrelated and yet parallel trend has also taken place in feminist theorizing about the body over the last forty years. Whereas feminism of the 1970s and early 1980s tended to view ‗the body‘ as the site and matter of biological sex, while gender was a more fluid and socially constituted mode of existence, more recent feminist theory has questioned the givenness of bodies themselves. In other words, rather than seeing gender categories as manifestations of the already given sexed body, thinkers such as Butler (2000) and Lorber (1992) argue that the very notion of a body is often a product of scientific inquiry, which is itself a product of the power structures aiming to maintain a rigid binary between feminine and masculine gender roles. If the world at large plays such a constitutive role in determining who we are, then this implies that the tools we use, the language we speak, and the power relationships in which we are enmeshed are components of what it means to be embodied in any genuine sense. For thinkers like Haraway (1988) the image of the cyborg is most fitting for this new understanding of embodied subjects, as the cyborg is a coupling of machine and human. Gender and even biological sex will always be a technologically hybridized ‗monster‘ consisting of matter, machine, and mind. The overall aim of my project is thus to bring the two concurrent developments in theorizing about embodied subjects into discourse. As the cyborg features largely in recent feminist thought about embodiment, so too has it been a prominent metaphor in philosophy of mind, ever since Clark (2003) claimed that we ought to think of our ‗selves‘ more appropriately as Natural-Born Cyborgs. I therefore focus on this imagery as I go on to make the argument that this distributed account of cognition as well as of sexual identity is more fruitful for making progress in understanding ‗the human‘ more generally. Likewise, I argue that bringing the discussion of sex and gender into the arena of an otherwise asexual philosophy of mind, will shed light on some important facets of embodiment that have been overlooked but that ought to be addressed if we are to have an adequate account of ‗the proper subject of cognitive science.‘ My chapters include 1) a survey of the discourse between science and philosophy of mind leading to these embodied and extended approaches, 2) a first attempt at defending the extended mind thesis, 3) a discussion of how even the supposed resolution to the objections raised against extended cognition fails to properly take into account just how problematic subjectivity is, regardless of its being defined entirely organismic or not, as organisms themselves are highly malleable and socially constituted, 4) an explanation concerning how the same problematization of embodied subjectivity is ongoing in feminist theory, especially considering the phenomenology of transgendered embodiment, intersex, and technologically mediated bodies, 5) further elaboration on technologically enhanced bodies, exposing what I see as a continuum between bodies modified by ‗hard‘ technologies, such as implants, prostheses or surgeries, and those modified by ‗soft‘ technologies, such as gender norms, the social gaze, and technologically mediated metacognition, and last, 6) an argument for the image of the cyborg to replace ‗organism‘ in cognitive science, along with the corollary argument that cyborgs ought to represent not just embodied minds, but should also be the metaphor in attempting to understand ‗embodiment‘ more generally, which must, at its roots, be underpinned by gender and sexual identity. I argue that the imagery is fitting for the proper study of cognitive subjects as well as sexed and gendered bodies, but moreover, that just as the cyborg suggests a blending and hybridizing of seemingly unrelated elements, so too should the two areas of inquiry, philosophy of mind and feminist theory, pay heed to one another‘s use of this imagery and themselves begin to be more integrative in their approaches.

"This work explores how current embodied theories of cognition can account for the comprehension of narrative texts. Theoretically, this thesis develops a framework for the study of narrative text comprehension by linking current advances in embodied theories of cognition, discourse processing, and neurosciences. Experimentally, two experiments are reported in which participants were required to read passages of text implying emotional states. The coherence of critical sentences in relation to the preceding text was manipulated in terms of both the emotional adjectives used and the sensory-motor component. In the first experiment, three tasks were used to index the effect of the manipulations on the critical sentences. The first was an on-line naming task in which response times to name emotional labels which matched the implied emotional state of the texts were recorded. [...] The second experiment used backward masking in the naming task with the aim of providing a more sensitive index of the effect of the text manipulations on on-line processing." / Master of Applied Science by research

"This work explores how current embodied theories of cognition can account for the comprehension of narrative texts. Theoretically, this thesis develops a framework for the study of narrative text comprehension by linking current advances in embodied theories of cognition, discourse processing, and neurosciences. Experimentally, two experiments are reported in which participants were required to read passages of text implying emotional states. The coherence of critical sentences in relation to the preceding text was manipulated in terms of both the emotional adjectives used and the sensory-motor component. In the first experiment, three tasks were used to index the effect of the manipulations on the critical sentences. The first was an on-line naming task in which response times to name emotional labels which matched the implied emotional state of the texts were recorded. [...] The second experiment used backward masking in the naming task with the aim of providing a more sensitive index of the effect of the text manipulations on on-line processing." / Master of Applied Science by research

abstract: Due to the push down of academics, today's elementary students are being asked to learn more concepts and sit for longer periods of time. Sitting slows thinking, whereas movement wakes up the brain. Using movement to learn is embodied cognition, or learning through both the body and the brain. Movement should be part of instruction for young students; however teachers are often not sure how to incorporate movement in their lesson plans. The Japanese practice of lesson study may help because it embeds teachers' new learning in their classrooms while intimately connecting it to the learning of their students, and it links with the cyclical, constructed theory of learning provided by Vygotsky Space. If teachers incorporate movement in their lessons, children have the potential to become more engaged and learn. This action research study was designed to understand if two first grade, two second grade, and one third grade teacher at a Title One elementary school in the Southwestern United States could learn how to use movement more during instruction through lesson study. This innovation took place for 14-weeks during which 12 lessons using movement were developed and taught. Data were collected prior to the study and during each portion of the cyclical process including, while teachers learned, during lessons using movement, and when lessons were discussed and changed. The data sources were pre and post teacher surveys, student surveys, observation protocols, lesson plans, transcripts of lesson study meetings, and researcher notes. To reduce bias a triangulated mixed methods design was used. Results indicate that through lesson study teachers were able to learn about movement, try it, observe the results, and adjust it to fit their teaching style and their students' needs. Data showed increased student engagement in lessons that incorporated movement as evidenced in the students' words, bodies, and learning. After participating in the study, the teachers realized they personally use movement to learn, and teachers' efficacy regarding their ability to plan movement in their lessons increased. Additionally, they started purposefully planning movement across their curriculum. Based on the results, further cycles / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Leadership and Innovation 2012

O presente trabalho visa motivar e defender o disjuntivismo epistemológico, a tese de que a percepção é estado factivo e racionalmente fundado. Essa variação de disjuntivismo é apresentada como uma dissolução do paradoxo cético da subdeterminação. Diante do problema cético do sonho, o disjuntivismo epistemológico é tomado conjuntamente com uma concepção enactivista da percepção, cuja tese central é que estados perceptuais são constituídos pelas ações do agente no ambiente. A conjunção dessas duas teses promove uma concepção corporificada da racionalidade, segundo a qual estados percpetuais racionalmente fundados são obtidos pelo exercício de habilidades do indivíduo no ambiente. Essa tese é ameaçada pela intuição supostamente plausível de que indivíduos em cenários céticos poderiam ser racionais, ainda que não possuíssem meios corpóreos para interação com seu em torno. Argumenta-se contra essa intuição pela crítica à maneira como cenários céticos são concebidos. Por fim, aplica-se o enactivismo radical ao autoconhecimento, promovendo um meio termo entre um modelo perceptual de autoconhecimento e um modelo racionalista. / This work is intended to motivate and defend epistemological disjunctivism, the view that perception is a factive and rationally grounded state. This version of disjunctivism is presented as a dissolution of the underdetermination skeptical paradox. Facing the dream skeptical problem, epistemological disjunctivism is taken in conjunction with an enactive conception of perception, whose core thesis is that perceptual states are constituted by one’s actions in the environment. The conjunction of these two theses promotes an embodied notion of rationality, according to which rationally grounded perceptual states are achieved by the exercise of one’s abilities in the environment. That view is threatened by the apparently plausible intuition that individuals in skeptical scenarios could be rational even if they lacked the bodily means to interact with their surroundings. This intuition is defeated by a critique to the way skeptical scenarios are conceived. Lastly, radical enactivism is applied to self-knowledge, attaining a middle ground between the perceptual and the rationalist models of self-knowledge.

O presente trabalho buscou investigar as contribuições da utilização de tecnologias touchscreen para o desenvolvimento do pensamento matemático. Mais especificamente, propôs uma investigação de singularidades no desenvolvimento dos hábitos do pensamento em atividades de Modelagem Geométrica implementadas a partir do uso da tecnologia touchscreen. No que se refere ao desenvolvimento de hábitos do pensamento, propostos por Paul Goldenberg, é entendido como uma ação que contribui diretamente para o desenvolvimento do pensamento matemático. A escolha de trabalhar com Modelagem Geométrica é explorada neste trabalho com a finalidade de possibilitar aos sujeitos envolvidos o estudo de fenômenos reais a partir do uso de ferramentas matemáticas. Quanto à interação touchscreen, nos baseamos na teoria da Cognição Corporificada que parte do princípio de que corpo e mente estão diretamente relacionados, ou seja, no gesto com a mão os estudantes tornam evidentes as suas intenções e pensamentos. Para realização da pesquisa, a metodologia escolhida foi o estudo de casos múltiplos (dois), mas com apenas uma unidade de análise. Configura um estudo exploratório, em virtude da escassez de estudos na área por tratar-se da integração de uma nova tecnologia ao ensino Como suporte tecnológico, a escolha pelo Sketchometry, software de geometria dinâmica disponível para smartphones, se justifica, visto que este possui um importante destaque no desenvolvimento da proposta de pesquisa, uma vez que, através do seu uso, é possível que os sujeitos elaborem e construam modelos geométricos de forma corporificada (interação touchscreen), o que é uma ação necessária para a compreensão do fenômeno investigado. Ao final da tese, mostramos que, no uso da tecnologia touchscreen, é possível identificar singularidades no desenvolvimento do pensamento do sujeito. Notou-se que a singularidade no desenvolvimento do pensamento está no início da implementação de um modelo geométrico. O aluno segue um caminho guiado por movimentos espontâneos e, desta forma, estabelece a construção e funcionamento de seu modelo. / The present work has aimed to investigate the contributions of the use of touchscreen technologies for the development of mathematical thinking. More specifically, it has proposed an investigation of singularities in the development of habits of thought in Geometric Modeling activities implemented through the use of touchscreen technology. With regard to the development of habits of thought, proposed by Paul Goldenberg, it is understood as an action that contributes directly to the development of mathematical thinking. The choice of working with Geometric Modeling has been explored in this work with the purpose of enabling the subjects involved to study real phenomena that can be investigated, assimilated and better understood from the use of mathematical tools. As for the touchscreen interaction, the work was based on the theory of Embodied Cognition which assumes that body and mind are directly related, which means that, students make evident their intentions and thoughts in gesture with the hand. The methodology chosen to carry out the research was the study of multiple cases (two), but with only one unit of analysis. The study has benn configured as an exploratory one, due to the scarcity of studies in the area, since it is the integration of a new technology in teaching As technological support, the choice of Sketchometry, dynamic geometry software available for smartphones, has been justified, because it has an important emphasis in the development of the research proposal, since, through its use, it is possible for the individuals to elaborate and construct geometric models of an embodied form (touchscreen interaction), which is a necessary action for the understanding of the investigated phenomenon. At the end of the thesis, it has been shown that it is possible to identify singularities in the development of the subject's thinking in the use of touchscreen technology. It has been noted that the uniqueness in the development of thought is at the beginning of the implementation of a geometric model. The student follows a path guided by spontaneous movements and establishes the construction and functioning of his/her model.

Orientadora: Profa. Dra. Maria Alice de Mattos Pimenta Parente / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociência e Cognição, 2015. / Observa-se, nos últimos anos, um crescimento no número de publicações acerca da semântica de verbos, através da teoria associativa de Pulvermüller (2001) que têm apoiado o enfoque da Cognição Incorporada (Embodied Cognition) em sua proposição de união em um circuito único dos sistemas perceptual, motor e linguístico. Estudos sobre processamentos léxico-semânticos de verbos e suas representações neurais têm comprovado que a mente humana e seus substratos neurais distinguem verbos de acordo com partes do corpo/agentes da ação. Entretanto, ainda não foram encontradas pesquisas mostrem o efeito da orientação semântica para estes verbos. O presente projeto teve como objetivo ampliar conhecimentos da teoria associativa de Pulvermüller, verificando se é possível direcionar a atenção para aspectos semânticos de verbos de ação. Utilizou-se a tarefa que requer recursos atencionais, proposta por Cristescu et al (2006) ao estudar classes de substantivos. Neste estudo foram utilizadas classes semânticas de verbos, tendo como agente da ação mão ou perna/corpo. Os verbos foram controlados quanto à extensão, frequência, especificidade, partes do corpo/agentes de ação e foram obtidos registros neurofisiológicos durante a execução da tarefa. Duas tarefas foram propostas: uma com pistas pictóricas e outra com pistas simbólicas. Ambas se caracterizaram pela apresentação de pistas semânticas antes da apresentação de verbos e pseudoverbos, após a qual os participantes deveriam realizar uma tarefa de decisão lexical. Foram selecionados 240 estímulos, sendo 60 verbos de movimentos de mão, 60 verbos de perna e 120 pseudoverbos. Nos dois experimentos, os estímulos eram antecedidos por pistas corretas e pistas neutras. Este estudo contou com a presença de 30 participantes entre 18 e 30 anos, universitários e destros, divididos em 2 grupos de 15. As hipóteses comportamentais foram (1) pistas pictóricas favorecerão um processamento mais automático do que pistas simbólicas e portanto menor tempo de reação; (2) a alocação da atenção para aspectos de partes do corpo/agentes de ação será maior para verbos de perna/corpo por serem ações mais difíceis de serem classificadas/distinguidas (ex: andar, correr, caminhar); e (3) a tarefa favorecerá os tempos de reação quando o estímulo for precedido por pistas válidas. Quanto aos registros neurofisiológicos, têm-se como hipóteses: (1) ocorrência de potenciais evocados por evento (PRE) em janelas de tempo precoces e (2) alteração dos sinais indicativos de processamento semântico, como o N400 e o P600 em função dos registros anteriores. Os resultados encontrados corroboram as hipóteses (2) e (3) comportamentais e as três eletrofisiológicas, já que foi encontrada 7 significância em P1/N1, com pico maior para verbos relativos a corpo quando comparados a verbos de mão. No entanto, não foi encontrada diferença entre os dois tipos de pista. Concluiu-se que é possível direcionar a atenção para características semânticas de verbos de ação, fato inovador, já que esse tipo de tarefa só foi utilizada com substantivos até a presente data. Achados no componente N400 mostram que há uma diferenciação no processamento de verbos de mão e corpo, o que indica necessidade de estudos futuros para clarificar os tempos de processamento e possíveis fontes de sinal. / It is noteworthy the increasing number of publications on verbs¿ semantics supported by the Pulverüller's associative theory (2001) which ground the Embodied Cognition model and in its proposition of a unitary network involving perceptual, motor and linguistic systems. Studies involving verbs' lexical-semantic processing and its neural representation have confirmed that human mind and its neural subtrates distinguish verbs according to body parts/action agents. However, it wasn't found researches that show the effect of semantic orientation to these verbs. Thus, the present project intended to extend the knowledge of Pulvermüller's associative theory, veryfing if it is possible to allocate attention to semantic features of action verbs. We used a task that required attentional resources, proposed by Cristescu et al (2006) to study nouns catogories. On this study, we used semantic verb classes that present as agent of action hands and legs/body. The verbs were balanced in their extension, frequency, specificity, body parts/action agents, and neurophisiological data was collected during the tasks. Two tasks were designed: one with pictorial cues and another with symbolic cues. At both tasks, subjects were asked to atend to a semantic cue before stimuli (verbs and non verbs) presentation. Then, subjects had to perform a lexical decision task. We selected 240 stimuli, of which 60 were verbs representing hand actions, 60 legs action, and 120 pseudoverbs. In both experiments, stimuli were preceded by valid and neutral cues. Participated on this study 30 undergraduate students, between 18 and 30 years old, right-handed and with normal or corrected to normal vision. They were divided in 2 groups of 15. The behavioral hypothesis were (1) pictorial cues will favour a more automatic processing than the symbolic ones, therefore, a faster reaction time; (2) the alocation of attention to body parts/agents of action features will be more pronounced to body-action verbs as they represent action harder to classify/distinguish (eg: to walk, to run, to stroll); and (3) the task will favour reaction times when verbs are preceded by valid cues. As for the neurophysiological recording, we hypothesied that: (1) evoked-related potentials (ERP) in early time Windows and (2) alteration of the semantic processing indicative signals (i.e.: the N400 and the P600) due to the earlier potentials. The findings corroborate behavioral hypothesis (2) and (3), since it was found a significance in P1/N1, with a more pronounced peak to body-action verbs when compared to hand-action verbs. However, it was not found any difference between the two kinds of cues. Therefore, it is possible to orient attention to semantic features of action verbs, an inovator fact, 9 since this kind of task has only been used with nouns till the presente. Findings in N400 component show that there is a differentiation in the processing of hand-action verbs and bodyaction verbs, though it requires further analysis to clarify the processing times and the possible current sources.

Le concept de "cognition incarnée" considère que le schéma classique Perception-Cognition-Action proposant un flux séquentiel de traitement de l’information n'est pas approprié pour comprendre l'effet comportemental des troubles neurodégénératifs et trouver des solutions thérapeutiques innovantes. La découverte des neurones miroirs (NM) a donné un substrat biologique à cette théorie: on pense maintenant que les NM relient les connaissances sur les actions et les perceptions non seulement pour intégrer la perception dans la planification et l'exécution, mais aussi pour soutenir un large éventail de fonctions cognitives, par ex. empathie et langage. En même temps, il est maintenant clair que dans chaque maladie neurodégénérative les symptômes cognitifs et moteurs sont représentés le long d'un continuum. Les maladies neurodégénératives liées au vieillissement, comme la maladie d'Alzheimer (MA), la forme la plus courante de démence, sont devenues un enjeu social très important. Comme il n'y a pas de remède pour la MA, les études se concentrent sur la prévention. Une catégorie qui représente maintenant une cible privilégiée est le trouble cognitif léger (TCL), considéré comme une étape intermédiaire entre le vieillissement normal et la MA. Même si MA et TCL ont été caractérisées comme des maladies «cognitives» jusqu'à présent, un lien entre la fonction motrice et le risque de développer la MA a été reconnu.Le but principal de cette recherche est d'étudier l'intégrité du réseau NM dans la MA, le TCL et le vieillissement normal. La caractérisation de son fonctionnement dans les maladies neurodégénératives serait utile pour une meilleure compréhension de leurs mécanismes fonctionnels et manifestations cliniques. Cela permettrait également d’exploiter le NM dans la réhabilitation des symptômes.La thèse comprend deux parties : la première inclue une vaste recherche bibliographique destinée à décrire le cadre scientifique qui justifie une telle recherche.Nous avons d'abord passé en revue les preuves sur l'existence d'un système NM chez les singes et les humains, et ses multiples rôles possibles et après brièvement décrit le tableau clinique des principaux troubles neurodégénératifs, en montrant comment les symptômes cognitifs et moteurs s’entrecroisent. Ensuite, nous avons détaillé les résultats de la recherche documentaire sur les maladies neurodégénératives, NM et cognition incarnée, en les commentant à la lumière de cette théorie.La deuxième partie de la thèse décrit la procédure expérimentale qui a été réalisée dans le but de la recherche.Trois groupes appariés de 16 sujets chacun (CA-contrôles âgées, TCL amnésique avec atrophie hippocampique et MA) ont été évalués avec une batterie neuropsychologique centrée sur les fonctions liées au système NM, et une tâche IRMf spécifiquement créée pour tester les NM: celle- ci était constituée d'une tache d’observation, où aux sujets ont été montrés des vidéos d'une main droite saisissant différents objets, et d'une tache motrice où les sujets ont observé des images d'objets orientés pour être saisis avec la main droite, et ont fait le geste correspondant.Chez les CA, l'analyse de conjonction (comparant l'activation de l'IRMf pendant l'observation et l'exécution) a indiqué l'activation d'un réseau bilatéral fronto-pariétal dans les zones NM « classiques» et du gyrus temporal supérieur (STG), entrée visuelle corticale aux NM. Le groupe TCL a montré une activation similaire, cependant, les zones pariétales ont été moins activées et le STG n'a pas été activé, tandis que l'inverse était vrai pour la zone de Broca droite. Nous n'avons observé aucune activation du réseau fronto-pariétal chez le groupe MA. Dans tous les tests neuropsychologiques (y compris les tests de fonctions attribuées à NM), les sujets MA ont été plus mauvais que les CA, alors que les sujets TCL montraient seulement des troubles de mémoire épisodique et fluidité sémantique (...). / The concept of “embodied cognition” considers that the classical Perception-Cognition-Action architecture proposing a sequential flow of processing with clean cuts between all modules is not appropriate to understand the behavioral effect of neurodegenerative disorders and to find innovative therapeutic solutions. In the last decades, the discovery of the mirror neurons (MN) has given a biological substrate to this theoretical perspective: the MN are now thought linking together knowledge about actions and perceptions not only to integrate perception in action planning and execution but also as a neural mechanism supporting a wide range of cognitive functions, e.g. empathy and language. At the same time, it is now clear that in each neurodegenerative disease both cognitive and motor symptoms are represented along a continuum. In the current demographic context, neurodegenerative diseases linked to aging have become a very important social issue. Alzheimer Disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is a neurodegenerative disease strictly linked to aging. As actually there is no cure, several studies are focusing on prevention. A category which now represents a preferential target of intervention is Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), considered as an intermediate stage between normal aging and AD. Even if AD and MCI have been characterized as “cognitive” diseases until now, a link between motor function and the risk of developing AD has been recognized.The main purpose of this research is to investigate the integrity of the MN network in AD, MCI and normal aging. Characterizing the functioning of the MN network in neurodegenerative diseases would be useful to better understand functional mechanisms and their clinical manifestations. It would also allow to capitalize on these kinds of neurons in the rehabilitation of motor and cognitive symptoms.The thesis consists of two parts: the first part includes an extensive bibliographic research intended to describe the scientific frame which justifies such a research.We first reviewed the evidence about the existence of a MN system in monkeys and humans, and its multiple possible roles in humans.We then briefly reviewed the clinical picture of the main neurodegenerative disorders, showing how cognitive and motor symptoms intersect in all of them.Next, we detailed the results of literature searching on neurodegenerative diseases, MN, and embodied cognition, commenting them at the light of this hypothesis.The second part of the thesis describe the experimental procedure which has been performed to evaluate the integrity of the MN network in normal elderly and people with AD and MCI, and its results.Three matched groups of 16 subjects each (normal elderly-NE, amnesic MCI with hippocampal atrophy and AD) were evaluated with a neuropsychological battery centered on functions thought to be linked to the MN system, and a fMRI task specifically created to test MN: that comprised of an observation run, where subjects were shown videos of a right hand grasping different objects, and of a motor run, where subjects observed visual pictures of objects oriented to be grasped with the right hand, and made the corresponding gesture.In NE subjects, the conjunction analysis (comparing fMRI activation during observation and execution), indicated the activation of a bilateral fronto-parietal network in “classical” MN areas, and of the superior temporal gyrus (STG), an area thought to provide the cortical visual input to the MN. The MCI group showed the activation of areas belonging to the same network, however, parietal areas were activated to a lesser extent and the STG was not activated, while the opposite was true for the right Broca’s area. We did not observe any activation of the fronto-parietal network in AD participants (...).

O presente trabalho visa motivar e defender o disjuntivismo epistemológico, a tese de que a percepção é estado factivo e racionalmente fundado. Essa variação de disjuntivismo é apresentada como uma dissolução do paradoxo cético da subdeterminação. Diante do problema cético do sonho, o disjuntivismo epistemológico é tomado conjuntamente com uma concepção enactivista da percepção, cuja tese central é que estados perceptuais são constituídos pelas ações do agente no ambiente. A conjunção dessas duas teses promove uma concepção corporificada da racionalidade, segundo a qual estados percpetuais racionalmente fundados são obtidos pelo exercício de habilidades do indivíduo no ambiente. Essa tese é ameaçada pela intuição supostamente plausível de que indivíduos em cenários céticos poderiam ser racionais, ainda que não possuíssem meios corpóreos para interação com seu em torno. Argumenta-se contra essa intuição pela crítica à maneira como cenários céticos são concebidos. Por fim, aplica-se o enactivismo radical ao autoconhecimento, promovendo um meio termo entre um modelo perceptual de autoconhecimento e um modelo racionalista. / This work is intended to motivate and defend epistemological disjunctivism, the view that perception is a factive and rationally grounded state. This version of disjunctivism is presented as a dissolution of the underdetermination skeptical paradox. Facing the dream skeptical problem, epistemological disjunctivism is taken in conjunction with an enactive conception of perception, whose core thesis is that perceptual states are constituted by one’s actions in the environment. The conjunction of these two theses promotes an embodied notion of rationality, according to which rationally grounded perceptual states are achieved by the exercise of one’s abilities in the environment. That view is threatened by the apparently plausible intuition that individuals in skeptical scenarios could be rational even if they lacked the bodily means to interact with their surroundings. This intuition is defeated by a critique to the way skeptical scenarios are conceived. Lastly, radical enactivism is applied to self-knowledge, attaining a middle ground between the perceptual and the rationalist models of self-knowledge.