The neuropsychological organisation of language

Question 1

Language is primarily processed in which hemisphere?

Answer 1

Left

Question 2

The ability to encode ideas into communication signals:

Answer 2

Language

Question 3

An anaesthetic is injected into one of the carotid arteries irrigating the middle and anterior cerebral arteries; if language is disrupted after injecting into the left carotid artery, then we know it is localised to the left hemisphere. This test is called:

Answer 3

The Wada test

Question 4

Language ___ involves listening and reading:

Answer 4

Input

Question 5

Language ___ involves speaking and writing:

Answer 5

Output

Question 6

____ area is specialised for language production (output):

Answer 6

Broca’s

Question 7

In which lobe of the brain is Broca’s area located?

Answer 7

Frontal

Question 8

Broca’s area is positioned ____ to the region of the primary motor cortex:

Answer 8

Anterior

Question 9

____ area is specialised for language comprehension (input):

Answer 9

Wernicke’s

Question 10

Wernicke’s area is located roughly in the ___ temporal lobe:

Answer 10

Superior

Question 11

The bi-directional pathway that joins Broca’s and Wernicke’s area:

Answer 11

Arcuate fasciculus

Question 12

A group of language disorders caused by brain damage, usually as a result of stroke:

Answer 12

Aphasia

Question 13

Both Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas are found predominantly in which vascular territory on the left side of the brain?

Answer 13

Middle cerebral artery

Question 14

True or false: people with aphemia (foreign accent syndrome) tend to also have an aphasia.

Answer 14

False
(Aphasia requires damage to the language apparatus. Aphemia is the apraxia (impairment of movement) of the speaking apparatus - so nothing to do with language itself, but rather the muscles.)

Question 15

A type of aphasia characterised by nonfluent and nonsensical speech and impaired comprehension, repetition and naming:

Answer 15

Wernicke’s aphasia

Question 16

True or false: damage to other areas can also cause Wernicke’s aphasia.

Answer 16

True

Question 17

Patients with this type of aphasia tend to get frustrated with their inability to communciate properly:

Answer 17

Broca’s aphasia
(People with Wernicke’s aphasia tend to also have anosognosia: an unawareness of one’s own symptoms or deficits. People with Broca’s are very aware of their inability to communicate properly, leading to feelings of frustration.)

Question 18

A type of aphasia characterised by non-fluent speech, good comprehension, impaired repetition and naming, and possible right arm hemiplegia:

Answer 18

Broca’s aphasia

Question 19

People with Broca’s aphasia may also experience right arm hemiplegia, as Broca’s area is located right next to which part of the brain?

Answer 19

Primary motor cortex
(Specifically the part of the motor strip that controls right arm movement.)

Question 20

An inability for two intact brain areas to communicate:

Answer 20

Disconnection syndrome

Question 21

A type of disconnection syndrome whereby damage to the arcuate fasciculus disconnects the pathway between Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas:

Answer 21

Conduction aphasia

Question 22

Conduction aphasia is a type of:

Answer 22

Disconnection syndrome

Question 23

Symptoms of conduction aphasia include fluent speech, impaired repetition and naming, and good or poor comprehension?

Answer 23

Good comprehension

Question 24

A type of aphasia almost identical to Wernicke’s, except the patient’s repetition is intact:

Answer 24

Transcortical sensory aphasia

Question 25

The lesion that causes transcortical sensory aphasia is located ___ to Wernicke's area, in the territory of the left middle cerebral artery:

Answer 25

Posterior

Question 26

A type of aphasia almost identical to Broca's aphasia, except the patient's repetition is intact:

Answer 26

Transcortical motor aphasia

Question 27

The lesion that causes transcortical motor aphasia is located ____ to Broca's area:

Answer 27

Anterior

Question 28

A type of aphasia where speech, comprehension, repetition, naming and right arm movement are all impaired:

Answer 28

Global aphasia

Question 29

Global aphasia is caused by a huge lesion on the ___ side of the brain in areas implicated in other types of aphasia:

Answer 29

Left

Question 30

Loss of the ability to read, resulting from brain damage:

Answer 30

Alexia

Question 31

Loss of the ability to write, resulting from brain damage:

Answer 31

Agraphia

Question 32

Most people with alexia also have _____:

Answer 32

Agraphia

Question 33

In some people with alexia, it is possible to not also have agraphia. If there is no agraphia, there was no:

Answer 33

Aphasia

Question 34

A disconnection between intact visual cortex and intact language areas, caused by (usually) a lesion to the splenium the corpus callosum:

Answer 34

Alexia without agraphia

Question 35

Patients who have alexia without agraphia are able to understand language, but not to read. This is caused by damage to either the left occipital cortex, or the splenium of which part of the brain?

Answer 35

Corpus callosum

Question 36

In people with left occipital cortex damage resulting in alexia without agraphia, the vascular territory affected is:

Answer 36

Posterior cerebral artery