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Comment
. 2020 Nov 16;30(22):R1361-R1363.
doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.017.

Sign Language: How the Brain Represents Phonology without Sound

Karen Emmorey  1
Affiliations
Comment

Sign Language: How the Brain Represents Phonology without Sound

Karen Emmorey. Curr Biol. .

Abstract

A rare case of a deaf signer undergoing awake craniotomy has revealed that sensorimotor cortex is functionally organized for signing. Electrocorticography recordings indicated neural tuning to linguistically-relevant handshapes and body locations and distinct neural activity for linguistic versus transitional movements.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Illustration of signs in American Sign Language.
(A) The signs ICE-CREAM and ORAL differ in handshapes which are very similar. (B) The signs EVENING and PIG differ in where they are articulated on the body. (C) The signs COMB and DRINK resemble pantomimic actions. (Photos courtesy of Brennan Terhune-Cotter.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

    1. Brentari D (2019). Sign Language Phonology (Cambridge University Press; ).
    1. Leonard MK, Lucas B, Blau S, Corina DP, and Chang EF (2020). Cortical encoding of manual articulatory and linguistic features in American Sign Language. Curr. Biol 30, 4342–4351. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Emmorey K, McCullough S, Mehta S, Ponto LLB, and Grabowski TJ (2011). Sign language and pantomime production differentially engage frontal and parietal cortices. Lang. Cogn. Process 26, 878–901. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Thompson R, Emmorey K, and Gollan TH (2005). “Tip of the fingers” experiences by deaf signers: insights into the organization of a sign-based lexicon. Psych. Sci 16, 856–860. - PubMed
    1. Klima E, and Bellugi U (1979). The Signs of Language (Harvard University Press; ).

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