Week 10 - Language Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is aphasia?
Difficulty producing or comprehending speech due to brain damage, not sensory or motor deficit.
What hemisphere is typically dominant for language?
Left hemisphere in ~90% of the population.
How is language processed in split-brain patients?
Each hemisphere can process language differently; left is typically dominant.
Why can’t chimpanzees produce human speech sounds?
Their larynx is higher and closer to the mouth.
What did Washoe the chimpanzee demonstrate?
Learned ASL signs and created novel combinations, showing possible symbolic use.
What brain area is linked to language comprehension?
Wernicke’s area.
What brain area is linked to language production?
Broca’s area (inferior left frontal lobe).
Which cranial nerves are involved in speech?
V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII.
What causes Broca’s aphasia?
Damage to inferior left frontal lobe and subcortical white matter.
What are the key symptoms of Broca’s aphasia?
Non-fluent, slow, effortful speech; intact comprehension.
What is agrammatism?
Difficulty using and understanding grammar.
What is anomia?
Word-finding difficulties, especially for function words.
What are the articulation problems in Broca’s aphasia?
Mispronunciations, altered sequence of sounds.
What remains intact in Broca’s aphasia?
Simple phrases, curse words, emotional expressions.
What causes conduction aphasia?
Damage to the arcuate fasciculus connecting Broca and Wernicke areas.
What are symptoms of conduction aphasia?
Fluent speech and comprehension but impaired repetition.
What does the brain activate when hearing words?
Posterior language area activates memories linked to words.
What brain region processes metaphors?
Right superior temporal cortex.
What is a benefit of bilingualism?
Improved executive functioning and problem solving.
How are different languages processed in bilinguals?
Some overlapping and some language-specific regions.
What is prosody?
Patterns of stress and intonation in speech.
What is phonagnosia?
Difficulty recognising voices.
How does the brain process language?
Like a dictionary: identifies words by sound and appearance.