Abstract：
Numerous studies reported inconsistent results concerning gender influences on the functional organization of the brain for language in children and adults. However, data for the gender differences in the functional language networks at birth are sparse. Therefore, we investigated gender differences in resting-state functional connectivity in the language-related brain regions in newborns using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The results revealed that female newborns demonstrated significantly stronger functional connectivities between the superior temporal gyri and middle temporal gyri, the superior temporal gyri and the Broca\'s area in the right hemisphere, as well as between the right superior temporal gyri and left Broca\'s area. Nevertheless, statistical analysis failed to reveal functional lateralization of the language-related brain areas in resting state in both groups. Together, these results suggest that the onset of language system might start earlier in females, because stronger functional connectivities in the right brain in female neonates were probably shaped by the processing of prosodic information, which mainly constitutes newborns\' first experiences of speech in the womb. More exposure to segmental information after birth may lead to strengthened functional connectivities in the language system in both groups, resulting in a stronger leftward lateralization in males and a more balanced or leftward dominance in females.
摘要：
许多研究报告了关于性别对儿童和成人语言大脑功能组织的影响的不一致结果。然而,出生时功能性语言网络中性别差异的数据很少。因此,我们使用功能近红外光谱技术研究了新生儿语言相关脑区静息状态功能连接的性别差异.结果显示，女性新生儿在颞上回和颞中回之间表现出明显更强的功能连通性，颞上回和右半球的Broca区，以及右侧颞上回和左侧布洛卡区之间。然而，统计分析未能揭示两组在静息状态下与语言相关的大脑区域的功能偏侧化。一起,这些结果表明，语言系统的发作可能在女性中更早开始，因为女性新生儿右脑中更强的功能连接可能是由韵律信息的处理形成的，这主要构成了新生儿在子宫里的第一次言语体验。出生后更多的分段信息暴露可能会导致两组语言系统功能连接的增强。导致雄性向左偏侧化更强，雌性则更平衡或向左。
