Cortical Organization for ASL

(STUDY)(BRAIN)
(signs courtesy of Handspeak)

This project has been a collaboration between Daphne Bavelier, Cheryl Capek, David Corina, Giordana Grossi, Susan McBurney, Teresa Mitchell, Aaron Newman, Helen Neville, Andrea Tomann, Vince Clark, Peter Jezzard, and Al Braun.

This project aims to elucidate the neural systems underlying the processing of American Sign Language. It is related to a broader program of research being carried out by the Brain Development Lab at the University of Oregon, and University of Washington along with a collaborative cast of (almost) thousands, investigating cortical plasticity.

Major goals of this line of reseach:

  • to determine what effects the use of the visuo-spatial modality (rather than the oral-aural one) may impose upon brain organization for language;
  • which aspects of language processing are shared by signed and spoken languages, and which are unique to one or the other;
  • the effects of congenital auditory deprivation (i.e., deafness) on brain organization for language;
  • the effects of learning such a language from birth, as a native speaker, compared to learning it later in life (after puberty), when brain systems have apparently become more "hard-wired".

The following are some of the publications stemming from this line of research:

You can view some of our results on the web:

Brain Activity for ASL and English
- for hearing non-signers, hearing native signers (CODAs), and deaf native signers
Native vs. late learners of ASL (hearing)
- handout of poster presented at Human Brain Mapping Conference, 1998 (PDF format)

Last updated: April 5, 2004