Regional cerebral blood flow in sign language users.
Cerebral activation was compared during sign and spoken language comprehension. Nine hearing children of deaf parents were studied and the cerebral activation was measured by recordings of the regional cerebral blood flow. Comprehension of a complex material gave a bilateral activation of posterior temporal regions for both spoken and signed language. It seems that sign language activates the cortex in a way which is very similar to spoken language, when the listener watches the speaker. Cortical areas usually regarded to be important for spatial ability do not show enhanced activation during sign language perception.
Söderfeldt
B
B
Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.
Rönnberg
J
J
Risberg
J
J
D000328:Adult; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012813:Sign Language; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013548:Sweden; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology