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Neural systems underlying lexical retrieval for sign language.

Karen Emmorey1, Thomas Grabowski, Stephen McCullough

  • 1Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. emmorey@salk.edu

Neuropsychologia
|November 13, 2002
PubMed
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This study used positron emission tomography to explore lexical retrieval in American Sign Language (ASL). Findings show that both signed and spoken languages utilize similar brain regions for accessing words and signs.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Linguistics
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Spoken language research indicates specific neural areas for lexical retrieval.
  • The neural organization of signed languages, like American Sign Language (ASL), remains less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if signed languages activate similar neural regions as spoken languages during lexical retrieval.
  • To compare brain activation patterns for different types of ASL signs (fingerspelled vs. native).

Main Methods:

  • Positron emission tomography (PET) was employed to scan the brains of ten deaf native ASL signers.
  • Participants were presented with images of famous persons and animals to elicit signed responses (fingerspelled or native signs).

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Retrieving ASL signs activated neural sites comparable to those for spoken English words.
  • Naming famous persons activated the left temporal pole; naming animals activated the left inferotemporal cortex.
  • Fingerspelled signs engaged additional premotor areas compared to native signs, likely due to increased motor planning.

Conclusions:

  • Similar neuroanatomical areas are involved in lexical retrieval for both signed and spoken languages.
  • The study supports the universality of brain organization for language, regardless of modality.