NEURO: Language Flashcards
What is language?
It is a system for representing and communicating information about the world using symbols and rules.
There are natural languages and ‘formal’ languages. Formal languages (such as computer languages) are finite systems and have rules for combination.
There are also human languages and animal languages. They are either closed/finite or generative, and they are capable of representing abstract concepts.
How have language groups evolved?
Language groups are a group of languages that have evolved from a common ancestral language, and as a result, have a common root word so that their vocabulary is relatively similar.
What are the five functional components of language?
- Articulation
- Phonology
- Meaning (semantics)
- Syntax
- Comprehension
Expand on articulation as a functional component of language.
It is the movement of the tongue, lips and jaw to modify a sound wave.
It is classified by the place of articulation, such as ‘labial’, ‘alveolar’ and ‘palatal’.
It is also classified by the manner of articulation. This could be voice or unvoiced, or fricative or plosive, etc.
Expand on phonology as a component of language.
It is the sound combination from which the syllables and words of a language are built up.
The ‘legal’ phonological structure varies across languages. The international phonetic alphabet (IPA) is used as a common notation.
Expand on meaning (semantics) as a functional component of language.
This is the representation in long-term memory of concepts and the relations between them.
It’s when actions, objects and properties get converted into verbs, nouns and adjectives (etc.).
It is largely independent of grammar. The mapping between the concepts and symbols in generally arbitrary (though nb onomatopoeia - e.g. hiss).
Expand on syntax as a functional component of language.
This is the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language. It relies on grammatical markers and word order.
In English, the word order SVO (subject, verb, object) is paramount to assigning roles. Other markers rely on ‘markers’ of word role.
Expand on comprehension as a functional component of language.
It is the ability to represent the meaning of words or sentences spoken or written by another person. It entails the knowledge of the first 4 functional components, in addition to:
- context
- pitch
- stress
- prosody
What are some different parts of the brain involved in the cerebral comprehension of language?
- Broca’s Area
- Fasciculus Arcuatus
- Auditory Cortex
- Wernicke’s Area
Describe articulation and phonology in regard to the brain area involved.
It is dependant on the interior parts of the homonculus (i.e. the tongue, mouth, larynx, etc.).
It’s also dependant on the more anterior portion of Broca’s area.
Describe meaning in regard to the brain area involved.
This more dependant on the left and right temporal poles.
These are densely interconnected with widespread regions of association cortex, which allows for ‘modality-independant representations.
Describe syntax in regard to the brain area involved.
It is dependant on the left inferior frontal gyrus.
Describe comprehension in regard to the brain area involved.
It is dependant on:
- primary auditory cortex
- temporal poles
- left inferior frontal gyrus
- arcuate fasciculus
- left posterior superior
- temporal gyrus
We can see changes in people’s language after their brains are damaged.
What are some examples of brain damage (language-related) that a stroke can lead to?
- Broca’s aphasia
- Wernicke’s aphasia
- Conduction aphasia
- Adynamic aphasia
Describe Broca’s aphasia.
It follows damage to Broca’s area, and results in a difficulty with articulation and phonology.
SPEECH: halting, fragmented, distorted, agrammatic
COMPREHENSION: preserved for words, reduced for sentences
TYPICAL PATHOLOGIES: middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction, haemorrhagic stroke
