An fMRI study of how deaf children process the three tones in Mandarin Chinese

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the brain activity patterns of deaf children and hearing children during the processing of three different tones (first tone, second tone, and third tone) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Furthermore, the study aims to identify the differences in brain activation regions between deaf children and hearing children during the tone processing task. Methods: Five deaf children and two hearing children were selected as participants. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were conducted on the subjects using an fMRI scanner. The acquired fMRI data were then preprocessed and analyzed to examine the patterns of brain activity. Results: Deaf children and hearing children exhibit differences in brain activation regions during the execution of tone recognition tasks. These differences can be observed in various areas such as the pre-central gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, supplementary motor area, superior parietal lobe, and interior frontal gyrus, among others. Through comparison, it is possible that the brains of deaf children exhibit stronger plasticity and compensatory mechanisms. These findings contribute to the understanding of the neural basis of tone processing and may help in refining intervention strategies. Additionally, they provide a theoretical basis for the language development and rehabilitation of deaf children.