Language - Brain areas Flashcards
What is observed in the fMRI scan when Ps press buttons with left vs right hand?
Left hand = more activity in the right hemisphere
Right hand = more activity in the left hemisphere
Is language information processed faster if it is in the left or right visual field?
Information from the right visual field (processed by the left hemisphere) goes directly to the left hemisphere, which makes it faster.
why is language information in the left visual field processed slower?
Information from the left visual field (processed by the right hemisphere) needs to be transmitted to the left hemisphere via the corpus callosum for language processing.
How is brain lateralisation different in left-handed people?
for right handed people the left hemisphere is responsible for most language functions while in 30% of left handed people the right hemisphere is dominant
Split brain patients
Do not have a corpus callasum so struggles to get information across
language info is better remembered if presented to which visual field?
- More likely to remember if shown to the right visual field
- Right visual field is better at remembering longer words- spoken or written down
- better word recognition
Why are words presented to the right visual field better remembered?
- This is because the brain area for word recognition and memory is in the left hemisphere
Does the right ear as well as visual field have a language advantage?
YES - also auditory
When Ps were presented with words to the right and left ear, when were they better at hearing/remembering?
They tend to report more words presented to the right ear, indicating LH dominance
If a Bantu speaker is listening to the clicks of the Bantu language, which hemisphere will be activated?
more activity in the left hemisphere
When a non-Bantu speaker hears the clicks what hemisphere will be activated?
The right hemisphere because they are not meaningful to the non-speaker so it doesn’t activate that brain area but the more complex analytical areas.
When hearing an unfamiliar language, what brain hemisphere is activated and why?
The right hemisphere may play a larger role in processing the emotional tone, melody, and meaning from context, especially if you don’t fully understand the language or if you’re still learning it.
Broca’s area
production of speech - inferior frontal gyrus
Wernickes area
speech comprehension - temporal lobe
ventral pathway
what - processes familiar words, semantics, meaning - speech comprehension
dorsal pathway
where - involved in repetition of sounds and words - speech production
White matter pathways
white matter pathways get information across the brain - connect nfo and get info from one location in the brain to the next if damage occurs to these pathways in language areas its hard to porcess language functions
How does the ventral stream process language?
Speech arrives at primary auditory cortex, low level speech anaylsis what kind of sounds have you heard —> LH extracts sound identity (phonemes), fine grained perceptual analysis, this is when you dont have context
Vernickes aphasia
Fluent but non-meaningful speech. Language processing is not right and he can’t check what he is saying.
Dorsal stream damage and language
Dorsal damage - cant repeat words, producing speech is difficult
White matter over time
increase in volume with experience and time
babies have more ability to develop more white mater changes lot in adulthood and is accompanied by experience
Grey matter over time
start with a certain amount and it decays slowly over time - this change is different in different parts of the brain
Bucharest intervention project
- children raised in orphanages
- no 1-1 care
White matter of orphans
more white matter in children raised in families rather than that orphanage
Grey matter of orphans
- grey matter increased in family
- early experiences can change brain structure
What happens with blind individuals visual cortex?
visual cortex will take roll of other functions
With practice, what skill can blind people develop?
Echolocation
