Event-related desynchronization of mu and beta oscillations during the processing of novel tool names

•Novel tool names were learnt during a manipulation or visual training with tools.•Beta and mu ERD was greater for names of manipulated vs. visually trained tools.•Beta ERD between 140 and 260 ms, mu ERD from 320 to 440 ms after name onset.•Mu ERD also for non-tool-related pseudo-words vs. names of visually trained tools.•Integration of sensorimotor experience during linguistic processing of novel words. According to the embodied cognition framework, the formation of conceptual representations integrates the type of experience during learning. In this electroencephalographic study, we applied a linguistic variant of a training paradigm, in which participants learned to associate novel names to novel tools while either manipulating or visually exploring them. The analysis focused on event-related desynchronization (ERD) of oscillations in the mu and beta frequency range, which reflects activation of sensorimotor brain areas. After three training sessions, processing names of manipulated tools elicited a stronger ERD of the beta (18–25 Hz, 140–260 ms) and the lower mu rhythm (8–10 Hz, 320–440 ms) than processing names of visually explored tools, reflecting a possible reactivation of experiential sensorimotor information. Given the unexpected result that familiarized pseudo-words elicited an ERD comparable to names of manipulated tools, our findings could reflect a suppression of sensorimotor activity during the processing of objects with exclusively visual features.