localisation of function in the brain 2

Question 1

what is Broca’s area?

Answer 1

• a small area in the left frontal lobe
• understand the spoken language but was unable to produce any coherent words
• speech production

Question 2

damage to Broca’s area:

Answer 2

• Causes Broca’s aphasia which is characterised by speech that is slow, laborious and lacking in fluency
• Broca’s patients may have difficulty finding words and naming certain objects

Question 3

what is wernickes area?

Answer 3

• left temporal lobe
• language comprehension

Question 4

damage to Wernicke’s area:

Answer 4

• Causes Wernicke’s aphasia where patients have no problem producing language but severe difficulties understanding it
• Patients often produce nonsense words (neologisms) as part of the content of their speech

Question 5

the case of Phineas gage

Answer 5

● Phineas Gage was working on a railroad when a tamping iron shot through his cheek taking a chunk of his frontal lobe with it
● Gage survived but the damage to his brain affected his personality - he went from someone who was calm and reserved to someone quick-tempered, rude and ‘no longer Gage’
● The change in Gage’s temperament following the accident suggests the frontal lobe may be responsible for regulating mood