Lecture 30: Language Flashcards
What is the role of Wernicke’s area?
language comprehension
What causes hemispheric asymmetry of the brain?
the left hemisphere of the brain is larger than the right hemisphere due to the presence of a large left planum temporale
What are left hemisphere functions?
analysis of right visual field
stereognosis (right hand)
lexical and syntactic language
writing and speech
What are right hemisphere functions?
analysis of left visual field
stereognosis (left hand)
emotional coloring of language
spatial abilities and rudimentary speech
How is a written word processed in the brain?
early visual processing -> visual word recognition (+ semantic association) -> premotor coding -> motor control of speech
How is a spoken word processed in the brain?
early auditory processing -> auditory word recognition (+ semantic association) -> premotor coding -> motor control of speech
Which regions of the brain are utilised when processing a written word or sign?
striate cortex -> extrastriate cortex (+ inferior frontal cortex) -> supplementary motor area and other areas near sylvian fissure -> primary motor cortex
Which regions of the brain are utilised when processing a spoken word?
primary auditory cortex -> temporoparietal cortex (angular gyrus) and anterior superior temporal cortex (+ inferior frontal cortex) -> supplementary motor area and other areas near sylvian fissure -> primary motor cortex
What are the characteristics of Broca’s aphasia?
halting speech, tendency to repeat phrases or words (preservation), disordered syntax, disordered grammar, disordered structure of individual words, comprehension intact
What are the characteristics of Wernicke’s aphasia?
fluent speech, little spontaneous repetition, syntax adequate, grammar adequate, contrived or inappropriate words, comprehension not intact
What are the symptoms of alexia?
ability to write a passage but inability to read back the passage
ability to recognise individual letters as a letter but inability to associate individual letters with a sound
What is human language said to have?
a deep “universal” structure but it looks very diverse
What allows for diversity of language?
highly variable features which are in fact superficial variations of deeper grammatical rules
What are the two ways in which language is thought to happen in humans?
there is a deep structure to all human language, and an innate capacity for this to develop in children
huge capacity of human brains to classify and represent information to solve complex problems in complex social and physical environments
What influences the structure of a language?
human distribution
