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Related Experiment Videos

Language lateralization in a bimanual language.

David P Corina1, Lucila San Jose-Robertson, Andre Guillemin

  • 1University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. corina@u.washington.edu

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|September 11, 2003
PubMed
Summary
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Brain scans show that the left hemisphere is crucial for language processing, even in American Sign Language (ASL) users. This left-brain activation for language remains consistent regardless of hand used for signing.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Linguistics
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Sign languages utilize two hands for articulation, unlike spoken languages with midline vocal structures.
  • This unique articulatory setup allows for studying language production robustness and handedness effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate brain activation patterns during American Sign Language (ASL) production.
  • To compare neural correlates of signing with dominant and non-dominant hands.
  • To examine the role of the left hemisphere in sign language processing.

Main Methods:

  • Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to scan 16 deaf ASL users.
  • Participants generated verb signs with their right and left hands.
  • Brain activity was compared between verb sign generation and noun sign repetition.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Nearly identical patterns of left inferior frontal and right cerebellum activation were observed for both hands.
  • Activation patterns during signing align with those reported for spoken languages.
  • Left-hemisphere activation for lexical-semantic processing remained stable despite differing articulatory demands.

Conclusions:

  • Lexical-semantic processing in language production engages left-hemisphere regions irrespective of modality (spoken or signed).
  • Left-hemisphere activation is robust and stable, even with conflicting articulatory demands in sign language.
  • The right posterolateral cerebellum and left ventral fusiform gyrus play roles in sign language processing.