Brain regions associated with Chinese reading development: a multiple-task fMRI study

Poster Session E - Monday, March 31, 2025, 2:30 – 4:30 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Wenwen Zhuang^1,2, Yaxi Yang², Li-Hai Tan^1,2,3,4,5; ¹Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration and Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Jinan University, Shenzhen Campus, China, ²Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China, ³Guangdong Innovation Platform of Translational Research for Cerebrovascular Diseases, Shenzhen, China, ⁴Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation Institute, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao 266071, Shandong, China, ⁵University International College, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China

Chinese reading uniquely integrates phonological and semantic information with its logographic script, posing distinct cognitive demands. While core regions have been implicated, the interaction and developmental adaption of these regions remain underexplored. This study employed a multiple-task design to identify shared networks and investigate developmental changes in neural plasticity during Chinese reading. Fifty native Chinese speakers (29 children: 18 males, 11 females; 9.83-11.58 years; 21 Adults: 10 males, 11 females; 18.75-25.58 years) participated, completing three tasks: Lexical decision, Homophone judgment, and Semantic judgment. Individual activation t-maps were generated using the general linear model. Task effects were further analyzed via one-sample t-tests (FDR-corrected, P<0.05, spatial extent>10 voxels), with accuracy as a covariate. Shared networks were subsequently identified by intersecting activation maps, and spatial consistency between groups was quantified using the Dice coefficient. The shared network included left-lateralized regions such as the inferior frontal (triangular and opercular) gyrus, occipital cortex, fusiform gyrus, lingual gyrus, precentral gyrus, inferior temporal cortex, middle frontal gyrus, and superior parietal cortex, along with bilateral regions including the inferior frontal (orbital) gyrus, middle cingulum cortex, insula, supplementary motor area, and medial superior frontal cortex. Children showed more widespread activation, while adults displayed a more specialized and efficient network. High spatial consistency between groups (Dice coefficient>0.7) included the left inferior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, medial superior frontal gyrus, and inferior occipital region. This study highlights shared neural circuits and development differences in neural organization during Chinese reading, reflecting adaptive changes in neural specialization across development.

Topic Area: LANGUAGE: Other