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How does language influence the human
brain?
Wernicke’s aphasia represents a problem with
speech processing. The spoken word is a sound stimulus which
enters our ear and in transferred as an electrical signal
through our nerves until it reaches the primary auditory
cortex in the temporal lobe. This area is close to
Wernicke’s area which contains the “word analyser”. The word
analyser contains the sound patterns of words that is
essential in converting speech into words. If Wernicke’s are
is damaged the sounds cannot be identified as speech and
comprehended.
Broca’s area is in the frontal lobe and
contains the motor cortex. Speech is a motor process
requiring sophisticated control over muscles of the throat,
lips and mouth. Broca’s area contains the motor plans for
words. When Broca’s is damaged the plans cannot be activated
even though the motor cortex is intact.
Speech, reading and writing are also language
functions that have a role in the human brain. Aphasia study
showed that the condition was more common in left hemisphere
damage than in right. In contrast to the symmetry of sensory
and motor functions, language functions are asymmetrical,
being more dominant in the left hemisphere. Global aphasia
is when both Broca’s and wernicke’s areas are damaged and
“shadowing” experiments in which words are spoken to a
subject quickly and they must repeat them back quickly
suggest that a global aphasic will be unable to “shadow”.
The articulate fasiculus is the direct pathway from
Wernicke’s to Broca’s area. If this is damaged then
conduction aphasia results, which is severe impairment of
repetition or “shadowing”. However, normal speech production
and comprehension are less affected. This implies other less
direct pathways exist apart from the direct pathway of
arcuate fasciculus.
Writing, as a motor process is produced from
the motor cortex under the control of the planning centre in
Broca’s area. The input system, reading, involves the visual
system and a region that contains the visual pattern of
words and is capable of converting visual input into words.
The key region for reading and writing is the angular gyrus,
on the borders of the temporal and parietal lobes.
This region contains visual word patterns, the
visual pattern is transmitted to wernicke’s area, where it
arouses the auditory form of the word and comprehension
occurs. Pure word blindness occurs when we have someone able
to write a page of coherent and fluent prose, but who cannot
read it back. This syndrome is known as alexia without
agraphia.
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