Neurobiology of Language and Hemispheric Lateralization

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on the neurobiology of language and hemispheric lateralization.

Language Acquisition Device

A theoretical mechanism for humans that provides the innate ability to learn language, proposed by Noam Chomsky.

Broca's Area

Located in the posterior frontal cortex, responsible for language production and orchestrating the motor movements necessary for speech.

Broca's Aphasia

Also known as expressive aphasia; characterized by difficulty in speaking while having intact language comprehension.

Wernicke's Area

Located in the superior temporal lobe, responsible for speech comprehension and creating understandable speech.

Wernicke's Aphasia

Also known as receptive aphasia; characterized by difficulty with comprehension and producing speech that lacks meaning (word salad).

Arcuate Fasciculus

A bundle of nerve fibers that connects Wernicke's area and Broca's area, facilitating communication between comprehension and language production.

Conduction Aphasia

A result of damage to the arcuate fasciculus, characterized by an inability to repeat words or phrases that have been heard.

Hemispheric Lateralization

The concept that the left and right cerebral hemispheres have specialized roles and cognitive functions.

Hemispatial Neglect

A condition caused by damage to the right parietal lobe, resulting in a lack of recognition of the left visual field or left parts of the body.

Wada Test

A test for hemispheric lateralization that anesthetizes one hemisphere to determine language localization, used before open-brain surgery.

Split-Brain Surgery

A procedure that cuts the corpus callosum to reduce seizures, leading to independent functioning of the left and right hemispheres.

Visuospatial Skills

Skills related to the relationship between objects in 3D space, often associated with the right hemisphere.

Productivity

The ability to create an infinite number of sentences using a finite set of words and rules in a language.

Word Salad

A disorganized speech phenomenon observed in Wernicke's aphasia where speech is normal in flow but nonsensical.