Broca's Aphasia

Question 1

Define: Broca’s area

Answer 1

produces articulate speech by coordinating movements of muscles involved in articulate speech production, and supplying this information to the appropriate motor cortex areas.

Question 2

Where is Broca’s area located?

Answer 2

In the left (usually) frontal lobe; next to left PMC areas that control muscles involved in speech (face, tongue, jaw, throat)

Question 3

Grammatical function of Broca’s area?

Answer 3

• Involved in analysing the grammatical structure of sentences, helps us extract meaning from language

Question 4

Does Broca’s area rely on other areas of the frontal lobe to plan sentences?

Answer 4

Yas

Question 5

What does damage to Broca’s area result in?

Answer 5

BROCAS APHASIA

Question 6

Define: aphasia

Answer 6

a language disorder apparent in speech, writing or reading caused by injury to brain areas specialised in these functions.

Question 7

What is aphasia caused by?

Answer 7

Usually stroke, NOT intellectual impairments, paralysis or loss of sensory input

Question 8

Do aphasias affect intelligence?

Answer 8

NO

Question 9

What are the 3 types of aphasias?

Answer 9

Fluent aphasias, nonfluent aphasias, pure aphasias (specific impairments in reading, writing or word recognition)

Question 10

Define: Broca’s aphasia (aka. expressive/non-fluent aphasia)

Answer 10

A language disorder involving impaired production of articulate speech; however speech comprehension is not as impaired

Question 11

Describe the Tan Tan case study.

Answer 11

in 1861 Paul Broca had a patient with difficult speaking (due to head injury) and could only communicate by uttering “tan tan”, saying “Holy name of god” in frustration and using gestures. Autopsy revealed a lesion on the brain in the area and found same thing with 8 other patients.

Question 12

Define: lesion

Answer 12

tissue damage

Question 13

Broca demonstrated location of function: define location of function

Answer 13

LInking a specific area of the brain (Broca’s area) to a specific purpose (speech production)

Question 14

LImitations of the case studies about aphasia?

Answer 14

Location of Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas may vary between people
Extent of impairment depends on damage
Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas are not the only areas that control language

Question 15

Explain the role of the right hemisphere in language

Answer 15

emotionally charged words (eg. swearing), singing and well-learnt phrases can be produced even if much of the left hemisphere has been damaged.

Question 16

2 key symptoms of Broca’s aphasia?

Answer 16

• Difficulties in producing articulate and fluent speech – deliberate and halting; long pauses between words; effortful; some articulation difficulties
 If well-memorised and requiring little conscious effort, they can recite poems, sing and curse.
• Short sentences (3-4 words), which consist of mainly nouns and verbs and lack grammatical words/structures

Question 17

Define: anomia

Answer 17

partial or complete loss of the ability to recall names (of people and the right words)

Question 18

Define: agrammatism

Answer 18

lack of grammar and syntax

Question 19

Do Broca’s aphasiacs usually use gestures? What is significant about this?

Answer 19

Yes; part of right frontal lobe corresponding to Broca’s area is involved in dancing (the language of gestures!)

Question 20

Can Broca’s aphasiacs recover? explain.

Answer 20

After the first 12 months, they might recover some words or recover spontaneously.
With therapy focusing on relearning the syntax of language, different areas of the brain can take over the task of communicating language (plasticity)

Question 21

Other characteristics of Broca’s aphasia?

Answer 21

Moderate-severe anomia
Aware of condition
o Sometimes mild comprehension difficulties caused by grammatical words (conjunctions etc) in complex sentences