Lecture 11: Language Flashcards
Patient H.W. and Anomia
Who was Patient H.W., and what was their condition?
Patient H.W. had anomia, characterized by the inability to find words to label objects, despite no impairment in object knowledge. This is related to the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon.
Stimulation Mapping and Language Regions
What is cortical stimulation mapping, and what has it revealed about language?
Cortical stimulation mapping involves stimulating brain regions to identify areas critical for language. Studies showed that stimulating specific regions (black dots) evoked language errors, mapping key language areas.
Anatomy of Language
Which brain hemisphere is dominant for language?
The left hemisphere is predominantly responsible for language, with processing occurring along the Sylvian fissure.
What are the key regions involved in language processing?
Broca’s area: Speech production.
Wernicke’s area: Speech comprehension.
What are the symptoms of Broca’s aphasia?
slow, effortful, and grammatically simple speech.
Difficulty articulating speech sounds.
Intact comprehension except for complex grammar.
What is Wernicke’s aphasia, and what causes it?
Wernicke’s aphasia is a comprehension deficit caused by damage to Wernicke’s area in the superior temporal gyrus.
How does Broca’s aphasia affect comprehension of reversible sentences?
Patients struggle with reversible sentences (e.g., “The girl was chased by the boy”) due to grammatical deficits.
What are the main symptoms of Wernicke’s aphasia?
Fluent but nonsensical speech (“word salad”).
Poor comprehension of spoken and written language.
Unawareness of speech errors.
What is Lichtheim’s model of language processing, and what does it explain?
Lichtheim’s model connects language production (Broca’s area) and comprehension (Wernicke’s area) through the arcuate fasciculus, explaining conduction aphasia.
What is the role of the left hemisphere in language?
The left hemisphere is dominant for language processing in most individuals, including speech production, comprehension, and writing.
How does the right hemisphere contribute to language?
The right hemisphere supports prosody (intonation and rhythm), emotional tone, and figurative language.
What does brain imaging reveal about language?
Brain imaging shows widespread activation across temporal, parietal, and frontal regions during language tasks, with hemispheric specialization for specific aspects.
