Neural Correlates of Language and Communication in Apes

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议研究的长期目标是了解早期环境在手动手势和面部表情不对称发展中的作用及其与大脑不同结构的关系。在拟议的研究中，对手势交流和面部表情与参考发声的手部功能不对称的行为研究将与磁共振成像（MRI）评估的神经解剖学不对称相关。具体而言，手势的手使用是否代表一个独特的功能不对称性，或者它是否反映了所有运动功能的一般不对称性，将通过比较手势的惯用手指数与具有类似情境需求的运动任务进行评估。在另一系列的实验中，语音通信的影响，手使用的参考手势的表达将进行评估，以确定是否语音信号增强或抑制的幅度不对称的交际行为。在第三组实验中，倭黑猩猩面部表情中具有参照功能的不对称性将与面部表情中不伴随使用参照发声的不对称性进行比较。最后，手势交流和面部表情的偏侧性将与大脑中特定感兴趣区域的不对称性相关，这些感兴趣区域包括颞平面、中央前回的运动/手部区域、扣带回和基底神经节。此外，将使用扩散张量成像（DTI）评估并比较两个半球之间的皮质连接不对称性。在所有分析中，特别令人感兴趣的是将由人类饲养并接触人类语言的猿类与由同种动物饲养的猿类进行比较。这种比较将有助于确定人类环境和交流系统如何改变倭黑猩猩和黑猩猩的交流行为和大脑组织的发展。总的来说，拟议的研究将导致更好地了解影响中枢神经系统发育及其行为和交流相关因素。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term objectives of the proposed studies are to understand the role that early environment plays in the development of asymmetries in manual gestures and facial expressions and their relationship to different structures of the brain. In the proposed research, behavioral studies on functional asymmetries in hand use for gestural communication and facial expressions used with referential vocalizations will be correlated with neuroanatomical asymmetries as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Specifically, whether hand use for gestures represents a unique functional asymmetry or whether it reflects a general asymmetry for all motor functions will be assessed by comparing handedness indices for gestures compared to motor tasks with similar situational demands. In another series of experiments, the influence of vocal communication on the expression of hand use for referential gestures will be assessed to determine whether the vocal signals enhance or inhibit the magnitude of asymmetries in communicative behavior. In a third set of experiments, asymmetries in facial expressions that made by bonobos that have a referential function will be compared to asymmetries in facial expressions that are not accompanied by the use of a referential vocalization. Finally, laterality in gestural communication and facial expressions will be correlated with asymmetries in the brain from specific regions of interest including the planum temporale, motor/hand area of the precentral gyrus, cingulate gyrus and basal ganglia. In addition, asymmetries in cortical connectivity using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) will be assessed and compared between hemispheres. Of specific interest in all analyses will be the comparison of ape subjects that have been reared by humans and exposed to human language compared to those reared by conspecifics. This comparison will allow for determination of how human environments and communication systems may alter the development of communicative behavior and the cerebral organization of bonobos and chimpanzees. Overall, the proposed research will lead a better understanding of factors which influence the development of the central nervous system and its behavioral and communicative correlates.