Language

Question 1

Characteristics of language

Answer 1

distinct human form of communication
effortless
almost perfect (except for filler words)
vast mental dictionary

Question 2

Findings of Dax (1865)

Answer 2

Suggestion of a link between language and the left hemisphere

Question 3

Studies of Broca (1861)

Answer 3

patients with lesions in left frontal lobe (later called Broca’s area) had impaired speech production
-> Broca’s aphasia

Question 4

Case study of David Ford

Characteristics of Broca’s aphasia

Answer 4

• searched for the right words
• telegraphic style of speech
• good comprehension

Question 5

Studies of Wernicke (1874)

Answer 5

patients with lesions in left temporal lobe (later called Wernicke’s area) had impaired speech comprehension
-> Wernicke’s aphasia

Question 6

Relation of speech and Broca’s area and the motor cortex

Answer 6

speaking is a motor process, it requires muscle control

- Broca’s area is located within the premotor cortex which plans out motor movements -> important for planning speech

Question 7

Characteristics of Wernicke’s aphasia

Answer 7

fluent speech but unrelated to conversation
failing to understand what is spoken to them
failing to repeat what has been spoken to them
failing to follow instructions

Question 8

Relation of speech and the auditory cortex

Answer 8

speech comprehension is related to auditory processes
- Wernicke’s area is located beside the auditory cortex, specifically the area for higher order sound recognition -> important for putting meaning to sounds

Question 9

Global aphasia

Answer 9

lesion to both Broca’s and Wernicke’s area

Question 10

Conduction aphasia

Answer 10

lesion of the connecting fibre (arcuate fasciculus) between the two language areas

• poor spelling, repetition or naming objects
• good understanding

Question 11

Neural model of language processing - Reading to saying

Answer 11

1) seeing word (visual cortex)
2) visual word recognition (extrastriate cortex)
3) planning speech (Broca’s area)
4) saying word (motor area)

Question 12

Neural model of language processing - Hearing to saying

Answer 12

1) hearing word (auditory cortex)
2) word recognition (angular gyrus and Wernicke’s area)
3) planning speech (Broca’s area)
4) saying word (motor area)

Question 13

Evidence from TMS

Answer 13

applying transcranial magnetic stimulation to Broca’s area disrupts speech