Spoken language development in the pediatric brain and its plastic reorganization induced by deafness

目的：探讨语言视觉成分的皮层加工过程及耳聋对该活动的影响。对象与方法：6名语前聋儿童参与本研究。这些研究对象按照他们的口语交流能力被编号为1到6。在静脉注射370 MBq 18F-FDG和对大脑进行PET扫描之间，每个受试者被要求观看一段说话人的面部视频。每个失聪儿童的皮质放射性与一组正常听力的成年人进行比较，使用基本SPM2模型进行测试。结果：受试者1的双侧皮层激活区最宽，言语使用最差。相比之下，受试者6（佩戴助听器的最佳口语使用者）与正常听力组之间没有显著差异。结论：使用氟脱氧葡萄糖正电子发射断层扫描（FDG-PET）与视觉语言任务提供了皮层语言网络发育和可塑性的客观信息。这种方法可以帮助参与语前失聪儿童的康复和教育的个人决定适当的交流方式。

Objectives : To investigate the cortical processing of the visual component of language and the effect of deafness upon this activity. Subjects and methods : Six prelingually deafened children participated in this study. The subjects were numbered 1 to 6 in the order of their spoken communication skills. In the time period between an intravenous injection of 370 MBq 18F-FDG and PET scanning of the brain, each subject was instructed to watch a video of the face of a speaking person. The cortical radioactivity of each deaf child was compared with that of a group of normal-hearing adults using at test in a basic SPM2 model. Results : The widest bilaterally activated cortical area was detected in subject 1, who was the worst user of spoken language. By contrast, there was no significant difference between subject 6, who was the best user of spoken language with a hearing aid, and the normal hearing group. Conclusions : The use of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) with a visual language task provided objective information on the development and plasticity of cortical language networks. This approach could help individuals involved in the habilitation and education of prelingually deafened children to decide upon the appropriate mode of communication.