Brain and behaviour

Question 1

Brain areas involving language

Answer 1

Broca’s Area

• In the LEFT FRONTAL LOBE (usually on left à i.e. in the frontal lobe of the dominant hemisphere)
• IMPORTANT FOR PRODUCING SPEECH

Wernicke’s Area

• In the POSTERIOR TEMPERO-PARIETAL AREA (also left cerebral hemisphere)
• Problems in understanding language

Question 2

Types of aphasia

Answer 2

Broca’s aphasia- non fluent speech, can understand but cannot produce

Wernicke’s- can produce but doesn’t make sense and cannot understand

Global aphasia- both understanding and producing impaired

Question 3

Executive functioning

Answer 3

Executive functioning skills encompass the mental processes which enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions and juggle multiple tasks successfully.

Question 4

Characteristics of dysexecutive syndrome

Answer 4

I. Emotional -impulsive, emotional bluntness, apathetic, lack of empathy

II. Cognitive - poor planning and organisation, difficulty switching from task to task or managing more than one task at a time

III. Behavioural - socially inappropriate, lack of drive, poor initiation of tasks