State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, China.
Cortex. 2012 Oct;48(9):1197-206. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2011.05.022. Epub 2011 Jul 8.
Bilinguals need an effective neural mechanism to select and control their languages for successful communication. Recent evidence indicates that the left caudate nucleus (LCN) is a critical part of this mechanism. Here we show that bimodal bilinguals, who use spoken and sign languages, have greater grey matter volume (GMV) in the head of the LCN as compared to monolinguals. We also found higher functional activation of this region in bimodal bilinguals when they switched between sign language and spoken language compared to when they did not switch languages. Furthermore, GMV was positively correlated with the magnitude of the switching effect in the head of the LCN. These findings indicate that for bimodal bilinguals, the LCN is shaped by bilingualism both anatomically and functionally.
双语者需要一种有效的神经机制来选择和控制他们的语言，以实现成功的交流。最近的证据表明，左侧尾状核（LCN）是该机制的关键部分。在这里，我们发现使用口语和手语的双语者的 LCN 头部灰质体积（GMV）比单语者更大。我们还发现，当双语者在手语和口语之间切换时，该区域的功能激活更高，而当他们不切换语言时则没有。此外，GMV 与 LCN 头部的转换效应幅度呈正相关。这些发现表明，对于双语者来说，LCN 在解剖和功能上都受到双语的影响。
