神经元再利用假说对视觉词形区形成机制的解释

Developmental mechanism of the visual word form area: from view of neuronal recycling hypothesis

神经元再利用假说是指新的文化功能侵入原有的功能皮质区域后,会形成和所获得的新文化功能相接近的神经元回路,但这并不会导致此区域的原有功能消失,而是弱化了原有的功能,文化的习得会受到原有脑结构的限制。视觉词形区(visual word form area,VWFA)的形成就是再利用了视觉皮质的形状识别区域来专门加工视觉单词,它位于大脑枕颞叶交接处的梭状回区域。结合近几年来关于汉字和其他文字的研究,从神经元再利用假说的视角,来探讨视觉词形区的形成机制,并从中得出对汉字阅读教育的启示。

The neuronal recycling hypothesis has proposed that the neural circuits are developed close to the function of new culture invention after it invades into the original cortical area, however, it would not lead to the disappearance of the original function but weak it. The acquisition of culture is limited by the original functions. The visual word form area (VWFA) recycles the form recognition area in the visual cortex for processing visual words, which is located in the fusiform gyrus at the junction of the occipital temporal lobe. Based on the study of Chinese characters and other writing system in recent years, we explore the influence of Chinese reading education on the visual word form area from the perspective of neuronal recycling hypothesis, and gain some implications on Chinese reading education from it.