Nervous System Locations Involved in Language Flashcards
What is language?
A system of communication in which symbols are used to express ideas
What percent of right-handed people have left hemisphere dominance for language?
95%
What percent of left-handed people have right hemisphere dominance for language?
18.8%
What percent of left-handed people have bilateral language functions?
9.8%
Where is Broca’s area?
Frontal lobe; posterior part of inferior frontal gyrus
What is Broca’s area responsible for?
Expressive speech
Where is Wernicke’s area?
Temporal lobe; posterior 2/3 of superior temporal gyrus and can extend into inferior parietal lobe
What is Wernicke’s area responsible for?
Auditory comprehension
Where is the angular gyrus?
Junction of the temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes
What is the angular gyrus responsible for?
Reading and writing
Where is the supramarginal gyrus?
Posterior parietal lobe
What is the supramarginal gyrus responsible for?
Language perception and processing
What is the arcuate fasciculus?
Association fibers connecting the frontal lobe with the posterior portion of the temporo-parietal junction
What is the arcuate fasciculus considered a part of?
Superior longitudinal fasciculus
What does the arcuate fasciculus have connectivity to?
Broca’s area or pre-motor/motor areas
What does the arcuate fasciculus have an important role in?
Repetition
What is aphasia?
Acquired language impairment that results from damage to language centers of the brain
What is the purpose of language?
1.) Understanding what is communicated
2.) Expressing thoughts
What are characteristics of fluent aphasia?
1.) Relatively normal prosodic variations of pitch, loudness, and stress
2.) Words flow in a manner that sounds fairly normal
3.) May be empty speech or jargon
What are 4 characteristics of non-fluent aphasia?
1.) Effortful, hesitant speech
2.) Single words and short phrases
3.) Limited use of functor words (is, the)
4.) Telegraphic speech
What is typically preserved in non-fluent aphasia?
Auditory comprehension
What type of lesions are typically associated with non-fluent aphasia?
Anterior lesions
What is another name for non-fluent aphasia?
Broca’s aphasia
What type of lesion is typically associated with fluent aphasia?
Posterior lesions
What is typically preserved in fluent aphasia?
Fluidity and prosodity
What is another name for fluent aphasia?
Wernicke’s aphasia
What is anomia?
Difficulty naming objects and pictures
What kind of lesion is typically associated with anomia?
Lesions throughout the left hemisphere
What is the presence of anomia not indicative of?
Lesion location
Lesions within this region may disrupt the ability to repeat
Perisylvian region
Injury to the perisylvian region often includes injury to what other structure?
Arcuate fasciculus
Lesions within this region may result in relatively preserved ability to repeat
The periphery of the persylvian region
What is agraphia?
Disorder of writing
What is pure agraphia?
Minimal or no aphasic deficits other than an ability to write
Where are lesions typically associated with agraphia?
Left superior frontal lobe/region
What is agraphia not due to?
Motor deficits or visual-spatial impairments
What is alexia?
Disorder of reading in a previously literate person
