LANGUAGE AND THE BRAIN

Neurolinguistics- study of the relationship between language and the brain.

Parts of the Brain

Motor cortex

Arcuate fasciculus

Brocas area
Taken after the French surgeon Paul Broca in the 1860s. Reported that damage to this particular part of the brain would result in difficulty in producing speech. Located in the left hemisphere of the brain.

Wernickes area
Taken after Carl Wernicke who was a German doctor in 1870s. Reported that damage to this part of the brain will result in comprehension difficulties. Patients face difficulty in the understanding of speech.

The Motor Cortex

Controls movement of the muscles (moving hands, feet, arms). Brocas area is a part of the motor cortex that controls the articulatory muscles of the face, jaw, tongue and larynx.

Arcuate fasciculus
Consists of a bundle of nerve fibers. Forms a crucial connection between Wernickes area and Brocas area.

Localization View
Word is heard and comprehended via Wernickes area. Signal is transferred via arcuate fasciculus to Brocas area. Preparations are made to produce it at Brocas area. Signal is sent to the motor cortex to physically articulate the word.

Tip of the Tongue

Some word is eluding you, you know the word, but it refuses to come to surface.

Malapropisms
Phonological similarities between the target word and mistake.

Slip of the tongue

Use the door to open the key A fifty pound dog of bag food.

Slips of the Ear

Great ape (grey tape) No chat. (not yet)

Aphasia
An impairment of language function due to localized cerebral damage Leads to difficulty in understanding or producing linguistic forms.

Brocas Aphasia(motor aphasia)

Reduced amount of speech, distorted articulation and slow with effortful speech. Absence of functional morpheme. Only uses lexical morphemes.

Wernickes aphasia (sensory)

Speech is very fluent. Difficult to make sense of words articulated.

Anomia
Difficulty in finding the correct words.

Conduction Aphasia
Damage to the arcuate fasciculus. Have disrupted rhythm because of pauses and hesitations.

Dichotic Listening
A technique done to identify which hemisphere of the brain is used for language Outcome: left hemmisphere.