Different brain activation patterns in Uygur and Chinese speakers during verb generation task: a BOLD-fMRI study

Objective: This study is to investigate and compare the activated brain regions in Uyghur and Chinese speakers during the verb generation task with the blood oxygenation level dependent-functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI). Method: Totally 15 Uyghur and 15 Chinese native speakers were included in this study. These subjects were asked to perform the verb generation task, and meanwhile the activated brain regions were analyzed and compared with BOLD-fMRI. Results: Uyghur and the Chinese speakers exhibited significant activation in multiple brain regions during the verb generation task. The dominant hemisphere for both Uyghur and Chinese speakers is the left cerebral hemisphere. However, in the Uyghur speakers, the differentially activated brain regions during the verb generation task mainly included the left inferior temporal gyrus (BA37), left inferior parietal lobule, left fusiform gyrus, and left parahippocampal gyrus, which were significantly less activated in the Chinese speakers. On the other hand, in the Chinese speakers, significant differential activation was observed in the right superior temporal gyrus (BA38) during the verb generation task, whereas the Uyghur speakers exhibited weak activation in this region. Conclusion: Differential brain activation patterns are observed for the Uyghur and Chinese speakers during the verb generation task. Compared with the Uyghur language, processing of Chinese characters may involve the right hemisphere more extensively.