Neural Systems Underlying Sign Language Production

手语产生背后的神经系统

• 批准号: 7003668
• 负责人: KAREN EMMOREY
• 金额: $ 40.61万
• 依托单位: SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-01-01 至 2009-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7003668
• 关键词: adult human (21+); behavioral /social science research tag; clinical research; corpus callosums; deafness; human subject; language development; magnetic resonance imaging; motion perception; motor cortex; neural information processing; neuroanatomy; neuroregulation; paralinguistic behavior; parietal lobe /cortex; positron emission tomography; psycholinguistics; sign language; space perception; speech; temporal lobe /cortex; visual perception

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Very little is known about the neural correlates of language production in congenitally deaf individuals who use sign language as their primary and preferred means of communication. The major goals of this project are (a) to identify the neural systems underlying the production of linguistic structures that are unique to sign language (i.e., classifier constructions that express location and motion via the iconic use of signing space), (b) to identify the neural systems that support sign communication versus gestural communication (i.e., pantomime), (c) to identify the neural systems that support phonological processing in a soundless language, and (d) to identify macroscopic variations in neuroanatomy associated with deafness or with lifelong signing. To investigate whether deafness and/or use of a signed language affect the neural systems underlying sign language production, a series of [15O] H20 PET experiments will be conducted with deaf and hearing native ASL signers. MR and PET imaging will be accomplished in collaboration with Dr Thomas Grabowski and colleagues at the University of Iowa. The experiments will test several specific predictions. We predict that the production of spatial classifier constructions engages parietal cortices that sub serve a spatial-motoric transformation from a visual to a body-centered manual representation. We predict that signing and pantomime will both engage fronto-parietal regions, but these regions will be non-identical and signing will additionally engage temporal lobe structures. We make the surprising prediction that the phonological encoding of sign language engages the same neural systems as spoken language (specifically, Broca's area and left superior temporal cortex). Finally, we predict that auditory deprivation from birth affects the size and morphology of the insula, but not Broca's area, and that life-long signing affects the size of the anterior sector of the corpus callosum and of the hand knob region within primary motor cortex. These anatomical predictions will be investigated using MRI data from deaf and hearing native signers and from hearing nonsigners. In addition to contributing to a better understanding of the neural basis of sign language (and therefore of language in general), the findings will be help improve diagnosis and develop rehabilitation strategies for deaf patients with communicative disorders.

描述（由申请人提供）：对于使用手语作为其主要和首选交流手段的先天性耳聋患者的语言产生的神经相关性知之甚少。该项目的主要目标是：（a）确定产生手语所特有的语言结构（即，通过符号空间的图标使用表达位置和运动的分类器构造），（B）识别支持符号通信与手势通信的神经系统（即，哑剧），（c）识别支持无声语言中语音处理的神经系统，以及（d）识别与耳聋或终身手语相关的神经解剖学中的宏观变化。为了研究耳聋和/或使用手语是否会影响手语产生的神经系统，将对耳聋和听力正常的本地ASL签名者进行一系列[15 O] H20 PET实验。MR和PET成像将与爱荷华州大学的托马斯格拉博夫斯基博士及其同事合作完成。实验将测试几个具体的预测。我们预测，生产的空间分类器的建设从事顶叶皮层，子服务的空间运动转换从视觉到身体为中心的手动表示。我们预测，手语和哑剧都将涉及额顶叶区域，但这些区域将是不相同的，手语将另外涉及颞叶结构。我们做出了令人惊讶的预测，手语的语音编码与口语的神经系统（特别是布罗卡区和左上级颞叶皮层）相同。最后，我们预测，听觉剥夺从出生影响的大小和形态的胼胝体，但不是布罗卡区，和终身签署影响的大小胼胝体和初级运动皮层内的手旋钮区域的前部。这些解剖预测将使用MRI数据从聋人和听力本地签名和听力nonsigners进行调查。除了有助于更好地理解手语的神经基础（从而更好地理解一般语言）之外，这些发现还将有助于改善患有沟通障碍的失聪患者的诊断和制定康复策略。