Zhang Jun, Kang Liying, Li Junjun, Li Yizhen, Bi Hongyan, Yang Yang
College of Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China.
College of Preschool Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China.
Brain Sci. 2022 Dec 16;12(12):1724. doi: 10.3390/brainsci12121724.
Handwriting plays an important role in written communication, reading, and academic success. However, little is known about the neural correlates of handwriting in children. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a copying task, we investigated regional brain activation and functional lateralization associated with Chinese handwriting in children (N = 36, 9-11 years old), as well as their relations to reading skills. We found significant activation of the bilateral frontal motor cortices, somatosensory cortex, intraparietal sulcus (IPS), fusiform gyrus (FuG), and cerebellum during handwriting, suggesting that an adult-like brain activation pattern emerges by middle childhood. Moreover, children showed left-lateralized and bilateral activation of motor regions and right-lateralized activation of the FuG and cerebellum during handwriting, suggesting that functional lateralization of handwriting is not fully established by this age. Finally, the activation of Exner's area and the lateralization of the IPS and cerebellum during handwriting were correlated with reading skills, possibly representing a neural link between handwriting and reading in children. Collectively, this study reveals the brain correlates of handwriting and their relation to reading development in Chinese children, offering new insight into the development of handwriting and reading skills.
书写在书面交流、阅读及学业成就中发挥着重要作用。然而，关于儿童书写的神经关联却知之甚少。我们利用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）及一项抄写任务，研究了与儿童（N = 36，9至11岁）中文书写相关的脑区激活及功能偏侧化，以及它们与阅读技能的关系。我们发现，书写过程中双侧额叶运动皮质、躯体感觉皮质、顶内沟（IPS）、梭状回（FuG）和小脑均有显著激活，这表明类似成人的脑激活模式在童年中期就已出现。此外，儿童在书写过程中运动区域表现出左侧化及双侧激活，而FuG和小脑表现出右侧化激活，这表明在这个年龄书写的功能偏侧化尚未完全建立。最后，书写过程中埃克斯纳区的激活以及IPS和小脑的偏侧化与阅读技能相关，这可能代表了儿童书写与阅读之间的神经联系。总体而言，本研究揭示了中国儿童书写的脑关联及其与阅读发展的关系，为书写和阅读技能的发展提供了新的见解。
