手语学习对大脑功能和结构的影响

Learning and using a new language can benefit the learner’s cognitive abilities and affect brain functions and structures in many areas, such as sensory cortex, language related areas and cognitive control related areas. In literature, most studies of language learning focused on the effects of new oral language learning on the brain function and structures. Besides oral language, there is a kind of visual language which is different from oral language—sign language. As a kind of natural human language, similar with oral language, similar with oral language, sign language has all the linguistic properties. However, compared to oral language, sign language has specific characteristics for it uses handshapes，locations and movements to express. Therefore, learning a sign language may have influence on many brain areas of the learner’s brain, such as the visual cortex, the temporal cortex related to processing of motion information, parietal cortex related to space processing the connections from these areas to language related areas and so on. In this project, we plan to conduct behavioural tests and also MRI experiments using resting-state fMRI, DTI and VBM. By comparing the cognitive abilility, brain function and brain structures between sign language learners, other language learners and non-language learners, we investigate the effects of sign language learning on brain functions and structures.

学习和使用一门新的语言能够对学习者的认知能力带来好处并对大脑的很多区域的功能和结构产生影响，例如，感知觉皮层、语言皮层、认知控制相关脑区等。目前大部分有关语言学习的研究都只关注学习新的口语对认知及大脑的影响。除口语之外，人类还有不同于口语的视觉语言--手语。手语作为一种自然语言，一方面，同口语一样具有语言的所有特征；但另一方面，手语主要通过手型的位置、运动等视觉信息进行表达，具有自己的独特性。因此，手语经验很可能在多个方面影响手语使用者的大脑功能和结构，比如视觉皮层、对运动信息进行处理的内侧颞叶皮层、对空间信息敏感的顶叶皮层及其与语言相关脑区联结等。在本研究中，我们计划采用行为学及静息态功能磁共振成像、DTI和VBM技术，通过对比研究，比较手语专业学生与某外语专业学生、非语言专业学生两组控制组进行认知及大脑功能和结构的对比，探讨手语学习对大脑功能和结构的影响。