Week 3: Language & Numeracy

Question 1

Ability to learn a second language rapidly declines at

Answer 1

puberty

Question 2

True or false:

Consonants convey more information than vowels.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Which area of the cortex is activated by any type of sound?

Answer 3

Primary auditory cortex

Question 4

Which area of the cortex is specific for speech?

Answer 4

The anterior superior temporal gyrus responds to words, but not word-like sounds

Question 5

Phase 1 of language processing

Answer 5

initially, auditory circuits process sound and phonological circuits identify it as speech, identifying phonemes and word boundaries

Question 6

Phase 2 of language processing

Answer 6

identify phrase and sentence structure

Question 7

Phase 3 of language processing

Answer 7

calculate syntactic and semantic relationships

Question 8

Phase 4 of language processing

Answer 8

Resolve ambiguities using context and world knowledge

Question 9

Posterior superior temporal gyrus to premotor cortex and BA44 via the

Answer 9

arcuate fasciculus and superior longitudinal fasciculus

Question 10

Anterior superior temporal gyrus to BA45 via

Answer 10

extreme fibre capsule system and uncinate fasciculus

Question 11

Prosodic processing is processed predominantly by which hemisphere?

Answer 11

Right

Question 12

True or false:

Emotional prosody is processed predominantly in the right hemisphere but also in the left

Answer 12

False, it is processed exclusively in the right

Question 13

The sense that a number is larger than another is called

Answer 13

cardinality

Question 14

The sense that a number has progressive order

Answer 14

ordinal sense

Question 15

Number problems and Gerstmann’s syndrome result from lesions in which area

Answer 15

Left inferior parietal cortex

Question 16

Rate of acquisition of words

Answer 16

Earliest words acquired at about 1-3 words a week
After the first 40 or so words, acquisition increases to 8-10 words per week
Preschool and primary school children typically learn 10 words a day
Average adult vocabulary 40,000-70,000 words

Question 17

Phase 1 - anatomical and functional relationships

Answer 17

1. Primary auditory cortex activated by any sound
2. Planum temporale processes speech and non-speech sounds - information resembling speech is transmitted anteriorly to the anterior superior temporal gyrus. Information not pertaining to speech is transmitted posteriorly to the posterior superior temporal gyrus.
3. Anterior superior temporal gyrus - analysis of parts of speech - responds to words but not word-like sounds.

Question 18

Methods of testing syntax and semantics using whole-brain imaging

Answer 18

1. Contrast sentences with non-sentences (e.g. word lists)
2. Use sentences with deliberate syntactic or semantic errors
3. Use different levels of syntactic or semantic complexity

Question 19

Regions involved in syntax and semantics

Answer 19

Superior temporal gyrus (BA 22/42 - Wernicke’s area)
Middle temporal gyrus
Superior temporal sulcus
Inferior gyrus (BA 44/45)

Question 20

The bundle of neurons that connect Wernicke’s area and Broca’s area is called

Answer 20

Arcuate fasciculus - forms part of the superior longitudinal fasciculus. Connects Broca’s area in inferior frontal gyrus and Wernicke’s area in pSTG.

Question 21

Which hemisphere predominantly processes prosody?

Answer 21

Right

Question 22

Children who have had left hemisphere hemispherectomy between 1-10 years (mean 8 years) all had age-normal spoken language and comprehension skills 10 years later. How did they develop a language-capable right hemisphere?

Answer 22

Two hypotheses:

1. Both sides start off with a bilateral language network that contracts to LHS with age
2. Areas of right cortex that are never involved in non-prosodic language become active when left language network is lost

Question 23

Topographical representation of numerosity is located in which area of the brain?

Answer 23

Superior parietal cortex

Question 24

Cardinality

Answer 24

Ability to realise that a number is larger or smaller than another e.g. 3 is somehow bigger than 2

Question 25

Ordinal sense

Answer 25

Ability to understand an order to numbers e.g. 3 comes after 2. May be exclusive to humans.

Question 26

Lesions in left inferior parietal cortex lead to

Answer 26

GERSTMANN’S SYNDROME:

Acalculia, writing problems, inability to distinguish left from right, inability to distinguish fingers