Open AccessMandarin functional MRI Language paradigms
Author(s) -
Ci He,
Graan Andre,
Gonzálvez Gloria,
Thompson Pamela,
Hill Andrea,
Duncan John S.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.525
Subject(s) - lateralization of brain function , superior temporal gyrus , mandarin chinese , fusiform gyrus , temporal lobe , psychology , inferior temporal gyrus , verbal fluency test , middle temporal gyrus , audiology , inferior frontal gyrus , voxel , gyrus , middle frontal gyrus , fluency , superior frontal gyrus , neuroscience , cognitive psychology , neuropsychology , functional magnetic resonance imaging , cognition , medicine , computer science , artificial intelligence , linguistics , epilepsy , philosophy , mathematics education
Objective The objective of this study was to implement convenient, fast, and accurate Mandarin task paradigms for functional MRI , and to locate the Chinese language functional areas in frontal and temporal lobes. Materials and Methods Nineteen healthy Chinese volunteers participated in this study, which utilized a block design with four language tasks: auditory naming ( AN ), picture naming ( PN ), verbal fluency‐character ( VFC ), and verbal fluency‐letter ( VFL ). All functional images were preprocessed by SPM 8, followed by first‐ and second‐level analyses and lateralization index calculation. Results Group analyses showed that for AN and PN , maximal responses were located in the right superior temporal gyrus. The picture naming‐scrambled pictures and faces contrast gave maximal responses in the left fusiform gyrus; VFC in the left middle frontal gyrus and the left superior frontal gyrus. For VFL the maximal response was in the left superior temporal gyrus. There was some inconsistency of activations for individual subjects. At a threshold of Z > 2.5, 10 voxels extent, activations were seen in >50% subjects for AN in the right superior temporal gyrus, the right middle frontal gyrus, and the left middle temporal gyrus, for PN in the right superior temporal gyrus and for picture naming‐scrambled pictures and faces in left inferior frontal gyrus. As a group, the lateralization index of all contrasts were left hemisphere dominant in the frontal lobes. In the temporal lobe, the hemispheric dominance differed for different contrasts. Conclusion These Chinese language stimulus paradigms activated language areas, and the functional regions of brain in different language tasks, and can now be piloted in clinical studies.