L59 Language and Aphasias Flashcards
Define Language
Is a system of communication that allows for the exchange of infinite combinations of ideas. It can be by means of sound or body language. It is species wide and will spontaneously emerge in all normal children.
language is ____
spontaneous
and capacity to learn is innate
It does not need to be taught and emerges spontaneously
By this, it is distinguishable from writing/reading which does NEED to be explicitly taught
____ is not necessary for thinking
Language
while people do think in words, it is not necessary as ppl think in images, abstract concepts and other non-linguistic forms
define lexeme
Different forms of a word that originate from one single word (ie: love→ loving, loved, etc)
define Morpheme
Any word or word part that conveys meaning and which cannot be divided into smaller elements that also can convey meaning
-book is a morpheme; it can’t be broken down further but books can be broken into “book” and “s”
what are the two components of language design?
word and grammar
define word
a combination between a sound and meaning
define grammar
rules how lexemes are meaningfully combined
define Morphology
Describes word structures and formation; combining word and affixes to larger words (adore –able…)
define syntax
Meaning sequence or order; describes how sentences are constructed and relations among words
define phonetics
Classification of sounds made in spoken language
define prosody
describe the intonation, stress, rate, and rhythm, that provide speech with its melodic character
what is involved in the production of a sentence?
Choose words, grammatical rules to encode ideas and intentions and generate articulatory commands in the motor system
what is involved in comprehending a sentence?
Coordinate sensory info from auditory (or visual) system with grammar and words and send the info about interpretation to the memory and reasoning systems
This takes a complex pattern of information flow to many parts of the brain
outline the critical time markers for language
- 5-7 months→ sounds
- 7-8 months→ well formed syllables (ie: ma, da)
- 1-2 years→ first word ‘mama’ with an understanding of the connection between the word and their Mom
- 2 years→ speaking in rich phrase (children language)
- 3 years→ often correct use of grammar with a good understanding of the basic rules
what 2 parameters did language most likely develop based on?
Humans exploited the environment
Humans were involved in cooperation
*Language has allowed for our ancestors to benefit from sharing acquired information
96% of ppl use the ___ hemisphere for language processing (grammar, words, phonetics)
Left
*Sign Language also depends on the left hemisphere
Damage to the right hemisphere results in?
an inability to express emotion
Therefore, the speech is flat, lifeless and mechanical
Pts who lose the left hemisphere but have an intact right hemisphere ?
can still sing songs and even learn new ones
what is the function of Broca’s area
organizes and coordinates the muscles during speech
what is the function of Wernicke’s Area?
provides the transformation of auditory output into
meaningful information
what is the function of the angular gyrus
combines sensory input to translate the visual patterns of letters/words into meaningful information
what is the processing that goes into incoming spoken word?
Auditory signals→ auditory pathway→ primary auditory cortex→ Wernike’s Area→ elicitation of the word’s meaning in the area near Wernike’s Area
what is the processing that goes into outgoing spoken word?
Nonverbal meaning→ conversion to acoustic image in Wernike’s Area→ arcuate fasciculus→ Broca’s Area→ motor cortex
what is the processing that goes into reading?
Input from left visual cortex→ Wernike’s Area→ elicitation of the word’s meaning near Wernike’s Area
what is the processing that goes into writing?
Non-verbal meanings→ conversion to a motor/visual image in Wernike’s Area→ arcuate fasciculus Broca’s Area→ premotor area (above broca)
Aphasias may include speech (____), writing (____) or reading (____); damage to respective control center of the brain
aphasia
agraphia
alexia
what are the 2 categories that make up aphasias?
Fluent (Wernicke’s)
Nonfluent (Broca’s)
what is fluent (Wernicke’s aphasia) characterized by?
fluent speech with difficulties in comprehension and repetition
what is damaged in Wernicke’s aphasia and what are the manifesting characteristics?
wernikes area (22)
Have no problem pronouncing/articulating words but have poor comprehension and repetition
This has been described as WORD SALAD
what is damaged in Transcortical sensory aphasia and what are the manifesting characteristics?
sensory assoc. cortex
Inability to speak spontaneously; comprehension deficits are present but REPETITION IS NORMAL
This is caused by a lesion of the sensory associated cortex; pts also have difficulty naming things
what is damaged in Gerstmann syndrome and what are the manifesting characteristics?
angular gyrus
Translation of visual patterns of letters & words into meaningful information is impaired
what is damaged in conduction aphasia and what are the manifesting characteristics?
arcuate fasciculus
- Connection b/w Wernike-Broca is lost (arcuate fasicuclus) causing understanding without ability to repeat
- The pt can say something wrong and realize it but when attempting to correct it, will repeat the mistake
what is confluent aphasia characterized by?
non-fluent speech; difficulty in articulation though comprehension is preserved
what is damaged in Broca’s aphasia and what are the manifesting characteristics?
brocas area (44/45)
- Difficulty in speaking and repeating but comprehension is intact;
- They speak in slow and small sentences; b/c comprehension is intact, they are quickly frustrated/impatient
what is damaged in Transcortical Motor Aphasia aphasia and what are the manifesting characteristics?
left dorsolateral frontal area
- Similar to Broca’s but less severe; in this case REPETITION IS PRESERVED
- Better in naming tests versus spontaneous speech
what is damaged in Global aphasia and what are the manifesting characteristics?
- Unable to produce language nor able to comprehend language
- This is a combination of Broca’s, Wernike’s and Conduction Aphasia
when examining a pt, you must determine if the pt is able to do these things.
- Speak Fluently→ with normal articulation and rhythm;; without syntactical, paraphasic or grammatical errors
- Accurately Repeat→ able to repeat spoken words or phrases
- Understand→ spoken language, proven with accurate responses and ability to follow spoken commands
- Name common objects→ this should be done consistently
- Read→ aloud and accurately
- Name words→ spelled aloud
- Write→ legibly and grammatically
describe Alexia
where is the damage?
what is disrupted
how does it manifest?
Disconnection b/w visual and language system
Damage to the Splenius – Posterior Corpus Callosum
Disruption in transfer of visual information to the area of the left hemisphere
Patient can read words in the RIGHT visual field ONLY
describe dyslexia
where is the damage?
how does it manifest?
- Damage to the left hemisphere of the brain which leaves child unable to perform proper word-identification when reading
- These ppl have a problem with “print-to-sound” translation meaning they will read the word “cat” as “car”
what did PET studies suggest was the potential cause of dyslexia? what were other findings in PET scans wrt dyslexia
cerebral lateralization
- Tendency to read words backward; most often left-handed people
- Inability to process rapid sensory input (ie: rapid visual conduction is often impaired)
- Cells of the magnocellular pathway and LGN are smaller than normal
