Mapping the unique neural engagement in deaf individuals during picture, word, and sign language processing: fMRI study

AbstractEmploying functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of neural responses during sign language, picture, and word processing tasks in a cohort of 35 deaf participants and contrasted these responses with those of 35 hearing counterparts. Our voxel-based analysis unveiled distinct patterns of brain activation during language processing tasks. Deaf individuals exhibited robust bilateral activation in the superior temporal regions during sign language processing, signifying the profound neural adaptations associated with sign comprehension. Similarly, during picture processing, the deaf cohort displayed activation in the right angular, right calcarine, right middle temporal, and left angular gyrus regions, elucidating the neural dynamics engaged in visual processing tasks. Intriguingly, during word processing, the deaf group engaged the right insula and right fusiform gyrus, suggesting compensatory mechanisms at play during linguistic tasks. Notably, the control group failed to manifest additional or distinctive regions in any of the tasks when compared to the deaf cohort, underscoring the unique neural signatures within the deaf population. Multivariate Pattern Analysis (MVPA) of functional connectivity provided a more nuanced perspective on connectivity patterns across tasks. Deaf participants exhibited significant activation in a myriad of brain regions, including bilateral planum temporale (PT), postcentral gyrus, ins...
Source: Brain Imaging and Behavior - Category: Neurology Source Type: research