[Functional magnetic resonance image study on the brain areas involved in reading Chinese, English, and Nepali in Nepalese].

OBJECTIVE:To explore the different brain areas activated by Chinese, English, and Nepali word tasks in Nepalese by using the functional magnetic resonance image (fMRI). METHODS:To determine the neuroanatomic functional brain areas responsible for Chinese, English and Nepali reading as well as sentence-formation, blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) block design by fMRI was performed in 6 healthy Nepalese volunteers. RESULTS:During Chinese reading, the activated areas included bilateral motor area, subfrontal gyri, superior temporal gyri, and superior parietal lobule; during English reading, the activated areas were left motor area, left subfrontal gyrus, left supra temporal gyrus, left insula and bilateral cerebellum; and the Nepali task demonstrated the activation of left anterior central gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus. Aside from the bilateral occipital lobes, both English and Nepali activated areas were the left cerebral hemisphere dominant. CONCLUSION:The more familiar with the language, the fewer areas are activated. Superior temporal gyrus might be involved in sentence-formation.