Speech and Language Flashcards
What is speech? What are the four processes of it?
verbal language communication
respiration
phonation- production of sound by muscle contraction
articulation- formation of recognizable speech by mouth
resonation- sound quality shaped by throat
What are the sounds of spoken lanugage?
phonemes
What is language? How can it be conveyed (3 ways)?
rule based system of symbolic communication
reading/writing, speech/hearing, manual/visual
What are the five dimensions of language?
phonology-rules for how sounds can be sequenced
morphology- rules for meaning of sounds (un, pro, con)
syntax- rules for grammar
semantics- rules for meaning of words
pragmatics-rules for communication (prosody, gesture, tone) and classification of word type (noun, verb, etc)
What is communication?
even broader than language, process to exchange info linguistically and nonlinguistically
What percentage of info transmitted in a conversation is done so nonverbally?
> 90%
What is prosody?
melody of language, pitch changes conveying emotion and linguistic info, rhythm/cadence
Around what fissure are the areas specialized for language?
silvian fissure (lateral), in the parasilvian areas
What area is for language output and production of language?
brocas
What area is for language input and processing of words?
wernickes
What is the “connectionist model” for language? what’s the other name for it?
Geschund-Wernicke model believes each aspect of language is managed by a distinct module in the brain linked by serial connections
What brodmann’s areas make up Brocas area? What do each contribute to?
44- phonological processing and language production (near face representations in motor area)
45- semantics of language, verbal memory for selecting semantic elements
What brodmann’s area makes up Wernickes?
22
What is the angular gyrus involved in for language?
semantic processing
What is the supramarginal gyrus involved in for language?
phonological and articulatory processing of words
What area lights up in PET scans for passively viewing words? listening to words? speaking words? generating word associations?
viewing- occipital
listening- auditory cortex
speaking- motor cortex, brocas
word associations- broca and wernickes
What subcortical areas are involved in speech?
PAG through limbic system (ACC), involved in emotional context of speech and vocalizations such as separation calls
What are speech impairments?
articulation disorders, fluency disorders (stuttering and cluttering), voice disorders (husky, strained, hypernasal, hyponasal)
What is global aphasia?
expressive and receptive aphasia, total loss of ability to understand, speak, write or read language
What is conduction aphasia?
language comprehension and spontaneous oral expression intact, trouble repeating words and phrases
damage to arcuate fasciculus
What is anomic aphasia?
oral expression and syntax intact, diffiiculty in finding certain words
damage to angular gyrus or right above it
compensate through circumlocution
What is anarthria?
malfunction in motor aspects of speech, such as can’t articulate
What is alexia?
damage to inferior left occipital/temporal lobes, can’t read
How is alexia different from dyslexia?
alexis is acquired as an adult
dyslexia is developmental problem with difficulty learning to read and write
What is the etiology of communication disorders (7)?
trauma, vascular disturbance, tumor/infection, environment (low SES), neurodegeneration (parkinsons, alcohol), genetic (VCFS), idiopathic (autism)
What does right hemisphere damage cause for language?
deficits involving interpretation of context, nonverbal domain of language
What is indirect context disorder?
difficulty interacting with environment, hemineglect and anosognosia- unawareness of such deficits
What is direct context disorder?
affects communication and cognition directly, also called pragmatic communication disorder since pragmatics is the study of how people use language in context
-disorders of prosody, discourse organization, and comprehension of nonliteral language
How does alcohol affect language?
brocas area volume decreased with years of drinking, less cortical thickness
How does environment affect language?
lower SES, less language development, less Brocas area activation
link is through parental vocab, less exposure to books, and possibly nutritional deficit
Can the brain change in response to enrichment for lower SES kids?
yes, increase in fractional anistropy (indiciating strengthening of connections of axons) after headstart program, reading, etc
Why does VCFS cause communication problems?
due to incomplete development of articulatory structures, could be from autism spectrum disorder too (1/3 of VCFS has it)
What kind of communication disorder is associated with autism?
right hemisphere communication disorder, can’t appreciate nonverbal or nonliteral cues
In what brain regions are changes seen in autism?
cerebellum and amygdala
