中国聋人手语脑功能成像的研究

A Study of Chinese Sign Language of Deaf People Using Functional MRI

本研究采用功能性磁共振脑成像 (fMRI)技术 ,首次以中国手语作为实验材料 ,通过外显手语和内隐手语刺激的比较 ,探查中国手语在聋人左、右半球大脑皮层的功能定位情况。研究的结果表明 :( 1 )手语与有声语言的绝大多数功能区是叠合的 ,与正常人和美国手语的研究结果相似 ,聋人的视觉性语言优势半球也是在左半球。语言的半球单侧化现象以及语言大脑功能定位区很少受语言模式特征的影响。 ( 2 )聋人手语的信息加工过程包括语言加工和视觉空间认知 ,语言加工模块与空间认知加工模块之间是存在一定的共享成分 ,这为跨模块可塑性理论提供了实证依据。 ( 3 )研究进一步表明 ,手语是一种有助于促进聋人大脑语言区活动的刺激 ,倡导在聋教中采用“双语教育”

Chinese Sign Language (CSL), the language of deaf communities in China, is produced by movements of the hands in space and facial expressions rather than the acoustic modulations of the vocal tract, and perceived by the visual system rather than the auditory system. This study pioneers to use FMRI method to examine the neural systems involved in overt and covert Chinese Sign Language words processing. We intend to compare the differences of the neural underpinnings of both American Sign Language and Chinese Sign Language. At the same time, the cross-modal plasticity theory was examined. The main results and conclusions are as follows: (1) The left cerebral hemisphere is dominant for processing visible sign language and vocal language as well Boca's area (Rodman 44, 45). Bernice's area (Rodman 22,23,24), supra marginal gyros and cingulated gyros are involved in both overt and covert sign language processing as in spoken language. These results suggest that the laterality of language is at least partly independent of language modality. (2) Under the sign language stimuli condition, we find no linguistic specialization in particular areas, i.e. the vision area or hearing area in both cerebral hemispheres. (3) In the field of deaf education, the bilingual teaching of sign language and spoken language using the visual system is considered an important programme.