Areas of Brain Responsible for Understanding American Sign Language

The human brain is made up of two halves called hemispheres. Each half of the brain is responsible for processing different kinds of information. Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that both the right and left hemispheres are involved when processing information given in American Sign Language (ASL). However, the study also showed that when processing spoken language, the left hemisphere was mostly involved.

Researchers would like to find out more about how the brain processes American Sign Language (ASL). This study is designed to determine if the right hemisphere is necessary for normal understanding of ASL.

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Key information

Conditions

Brain Mapping Behavior Communication Deafness Ear Diseases Healthy Hearing Disorders Hearing Loss Language Nervous System Diseases Neurologic Manifestations Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Sensation Disorders Signs and Symptoms Speech Verbal Behavior

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

About this study

The purpose of this protocol is to determine if the right hemisphere activation associated with perception of American Sign Language (ASL) in deaf subjects and in normal hearing individuals raised by deaf parents (who learned ASL before written English) is necessary for appropriate understanding of ASL.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Subject age between 18 and 65 years.

Adult hearing offsprings of deaf parents.

Congenitally deaf individuals.

Intact hearing volunteers.

No subjects with personal or family history of seizures or other neurological or demyelinating disorders.

No pregnant women tested after urine pregnancy test.

No subjects with severe coronary disease.

No subjects with metal in the cranium except mouth.

No subjects with intracardiac lines and implanted medication pumps.

No subjects with increased intracranial pressure as evaluated by clinical means.

No subjects with cardiac pacemakers.

No subjects with an intake of neuroleptics.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Nih

Registry information

Official study title

Hemispheric Lateralization of Language Receptive Function in the Deaf and in Hearing Individuals Who Learned ASL as First Language

Important dates

Study start: 1998
Study completion: 2000
First posted: Dec 10, 2002
Registry last updated: Mar 4, 2008

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed