L9: LANGUAGE IN THE BRAIN

Question 1

where is wernicke’s area?

Answer 1

posterior part of superior temporal gyrus

Question 2

symptoms of wernicke’s aphasia

Answer 2

• problems understanding spoken / written language
• fluent, normal speech but meaningless
• phonemic & semantic paraphasia (substituting words)

Question 3

what is the geschwind model?

Answer 3

describes how regions with different roles interact in language production / comprehension
- includes Broca and wernicke areas

Question 4

describe the process of language comprehension and production using the geschwind model

Answer 4

broca’s - (production)
- plan what to say
- send to motor cortex
- send to muscles

wernicke’s - (comprehension)
- auditory cortex analyses sound
- send to wernicke’s

Question 5

describe the process of repeating spoken words

Answer 5

• auditory cortex processes speech sounds
• meaning is accessed in wernicke’s
• signals are transmitted via arcuate fascicles to broca’s
• broca’s accesses speech type representations of the word
• sends instructions to motor cortex to execute action

Question 6

describe the process of repeating written words

Answer 6

• processed by visual cortex
• info transmitted to angular gyrus
• visual code of written words is converted into phonological in angular gyrus
• interpreted in wernicke’s
• signals transmitted via arcuate fasciculus to broca’s
• speech representations accessed
• sends instructions to motor cortex to execute action