• ISSN: 2382-6282 (Print); 2972-3108 (Online)
    • Abbreviated Title: Int. J. Lang. Lit. Linguist.
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    • DOI: 10.18178/IJLLL
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HOME > Archives > 2024 > Volume 10 Number 3 (2024) >
IJLLL 2024 Vol.10(3): 269-273
DOI: 10.18178/IJLLL.2024.10.3.524

An fMRI Study of How Deaf Children Process the Two Tones (Second Tone and Third Tone) in Mandarin Chinese

Mengrui Shi*and Qiang Li
Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, China
Email: smr789@foxmail.com (M.S.)
*Corresponding author

Manuscript received December 12, 2023; revised January 15, 2024; accepted February 20, 2024; published May 24, 2024

Abstract—The objective of this study is to investigate the brain activity patterns of deaf children and hearing children during the processing of two different tones (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. 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. 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 comparisons, the brains of deaf and mute children, although they exhibit relatively reduced activation in certain areas of the auditory cortex, may show enhanced activation in additional regions such as the middle occipital gyrus. This suggests that the brain of deaf children may undergo a reorganization of its functional networks, allowing for improved spatial perception, visual abilities, and other skills. This adaptation enables them to better process tonal information despite the absence of auditory input. These findings contribute to the understanding of the neural basis of tone processing and may help in refining intervention strategies.

Keywords—brain activity, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), deaf children, tones

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Cite:Mengrui Shi and Qiang Li, "An fMRI Study of How Deaf Children Process the Two Tones (Second Tone and Third Tone) in Mandarin Chinese," International Journal of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 269-273, 2024.

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