人脑纹状体边缘区参与听觉数字工作记忆的功能磁共振研究

目的本实验拟通过正常人的功能磁共振研究,检测人脑纹状体边缘区是否参与了听觉数字工作记忆的过程。方法选取13名健康志愿者分别进行听觉数字工作记忆和听觉非记忆任务作业,同时进行功能磁共振检查,检测脑区在不同任务下的激活情况。结果11名受试者通过了数字工作记忆任务作业。功能磁共振结果显示受试者在进行听觉数字工作记忆时具有左侧优势的双侧前额叶皮层和左侧纹状体边缘区均有激活,出现高信号区,其他脑区激活不明显。而在进行听觉非记忆任务作业时,受试者的前额叶和边缘区均无明显激活。结论左侧纹状体边缘区与前额叶一起参与了人脑的听觉数字工作记忆过程,边缘区可能是一个联系着其他学习记忆相关脑区的皮层下中枢。

Role of the marginal division of human neostriatum in working memory capacity for numbers received through hearing: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study

Objective With the help with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique, we aim to clarify whether the marginal division of the striatum (MrD) is involved in the working memory function of human brain for remembering numbers received through hearing. Methods Thirteen healthy volunteers were instructed to undertake both a working memory task, in which the subjects were asked to remember as many numbers read to them as possible, and a non-working memory control task, in which the subjects were not asked to remember the numbers. FMRI of the brain was performed in the 2 groups while the tests were being carried out separately, and the activity of the brain regions was compared between these 2 tasks. Results Eleven volunteers passed the working memory task for digit remembering. Highly active areas were observed in the prefrontal cortex and the MrD with predominance by the left side during performance of the working memory task, while other regions of the neostriatum were not excited. The prefrontal cortex and the MrD were not obviously activated during the performance in the control test. Conclusion The results suggest that the MrD, along with the prefrontal cortex in the human brain, is involved in working memory function in remembering numbers assigned through hearing. The MrD is probably a subcortical memory center, which is linked to other memory-related brain areas.