Chapter 3 - Neurological Bases of Speech and Language Flashcards
Neuroscience
the study of neuroanatomy or where structures are located and neurophysiology or how the brain functions
Neurolinguistics
study of neuroanatomy, physiology, and biochemistry of language
try to identify structures in the nervous system involved in language processing and to explain the process
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Brain and Spinal Cord
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
conducts impulses either toward or away from the CNS
Consists of 12 cranial, 31 spinal nerves
Cranial nerves important for speech, language, hearing, and course between brainstem and face/neck
Afferent nerves
nerves that conduct messages toward the brain
Efferent Nerves
Conduct messages away from the brain
What is your nervous system responsible for?
Consists of brain, spinal cord, and all associated nerves and sense organs
monitoring your body’s state by conducting messages from senses to organs and responding by conducting messages to the organs and muscles - transmission through nerves
Neuron
nerve cell - basic unit of your nervous system
Nerve - collection of neurons
approx 100 billion in your nervous system
Parts of a neuron
Cell body, axon, dendrite
Axon
Part of neuron that transmits impulses away from the cell bod y
Dendrites
Part of the neuron that receives impulses from other cells and transmits to cell body
Synapse
The space between axons and dendrites where chemical-electrical impulses jump
Reticular formation
Compact unit of neurons in the brain stem that acts as an integrator of incoming auditory, visual, tactile, and other sensory inputs and as a filter to inhibit or facilitate sensory transmission
Thalamus
Sits above the brain stem near the center of the brain
Relays incoming sensory information (with the exception of smell) to the appropriate portion of the brain for analysis and prepares the brain to receive input
Cerebellum
Rear or back of the brain stem
Responsible for equilibrium; regulates motor and muscle activity by acting on messages sent from “higher up”
Has little to do with thought processes, analysis, synthesis found in upper portions of the brain
Cerebrum
Atop the brain stem and cerebellum and divided into left and right hemispheres (largest portion of the brain)
Contralateral
Most sensory and motor functions are contralateral - each hemisphere is concerned with the opposite side of the body
Vision and hearing are exceptions to this crossover
Cerebral hemispheres are roughly symmetrical for most functions
Language hemispheres are asymmetrical
The fiber tracts are of what three types
Association - run between different areas within each hemisphere
Projection - connect the cortex to the brain stem and below
Transverse - connect the two hemispheres
What is the largest transverse tract?
Corpus callosum - connects the two hemispheres
What causes the wrinkled appearance in the cortex?
Gyri - hills
Fissures or sulci- valleys
4 lobes of the cerebrum
Frontal
Parietal
Occipital
Temporal
Which portion of the brain is most anterior and the newest portion to evolve?
Prefrontal cortex - executive functioning, control, organization, synthesis of sensory and motor information
What does executive function do?
Readies the brain and allocates resources
Responsible in part for control over the entire operation
Cortex
Outer layer of neural tissue of cerebrum
Three basic brain functions
Regulation - energy and overall tone of your cortex; maintains the brain at basic level of awareness and responsively
processing - rear of cortex, controls information analysis, coding, storage
formulation - frontal lobe; responsible for formation of intentions and programs for behavior; attention and concentration; motor planned and coordinated but not activated by formulation
