Language Flashcards
What is speech?
Production of audible sounds that may or may not be used to communicate; phonation and articulation
What is phonation?
Sound production by the moving vocal cords, the muscles of which are innervated by branches of the vagus nerve, which is controlled by its UMNs
How does abnormal phonation sound?
Hoarse, whispering, or breathy
What is articulation?
Sound production by actions and varied positions of the lips, tongue, palate, and pharynx, innervated by CNs VII, IX, X, XII, and their associated UMNs
How does abnormal articulation (dysarthria) sound?
Slurred, choppy, indistinct
What is language?
Communication by means of symbols and is not limited to production of audible sounds
Which cerebral hemisphere is dominant in what-handed people?
L cerebral hemisphere is dominant in almost all right-handed people and about half of all left-handed people
Major language centers are in the vascular territory of the ___ artery.
MCA
What is aphasia?
Disorder of previously acquired language ability due to a lesion in a critical language center
What is fluency?
Ease, facility, and quantity of speech regardless of content or meaning
How is comprehension evidenced?
Verbal or written commands are followed
Cause of imperfect repetition?
Lesion in either perisylvian language center (Broca’s or Werncike’s) or the connecting arcuate fasciculus
What is a paraphasia?
Abnormal word or syllable substitution
Paraphasias are more common with what lesions?
Lesions in the posterior perisylvian language region, particularly with Wernicke’s aphasia
Cause of Broca’s aphasia?
Posterior inferior frontal lobe lesion in the dominant hemisphere
Fluency, repetition, and comprehension in Broca’s aphasia?
Fluency: non-fluent
Repetition: imperfect
Comprehension: good (relatively preserved)
Cause of Wernicke’s aphasia?
Posterior superior temporal lobe lesion in the dominant hemisphere
Fluency, repetition, and comprehension in Wernicke’s aphasia?
Fluency: fluent
Repetition: imperfect
Comprehension: poor
Cause of conduction aphasia?
Lesion of the arcuate fasciculus
Fluency, repetition, and comprehension in conduction aphasia?
Fluency: fluent
Repetition: imperfect
Comprehension: intermediate
Fluency, repetition, and comprehension in global aphasia?
Fluency: non-fluent
Repetition: imperfect
Comprehension: poor
Lesions in posteiror parts of the dominant hemisphere may affect specific aspects such as ___ or ___.
Alexia; agraphia
What is alexia and what causes it?
Impaired reading; visual cortex is disconnected from language centers critical for reading
What is agraphia and what causes it?
Impaired writing; motor cortex for the dominant hand is disconnected from language centers critical for writing
What is prosody?
Semantic and emotional meaning of language as conveyed by changes in vocal pitch, inflection, melody, or tone
What types of lesions can cause aprosodia?
Non-dominant cortical lesions
What is a sensory (receptive) aprosodia and what causes it?
Patient does not understand the emotional content in words spoken by tothers and cannot repeat or mimc the elements of prosody; when the patient speaks, normal prosody and gesturing is present
Lesion in the non-dominant posterior superior temporal lobe
What is a motor (expressive) aprosodia and what causes it?
Patient fails to incorporate elements of prosody when speaking, unable to repeat or mimic the elements of prosody when heard; able to understand the emotional content or speech of others
Lesion in the non-dominant posterior inferior frontal lobe opposite Broca’s area
