language

N400

active when presented w/ statements violating world knowledge

• Broadman 45 and 47

P600 and LAN (late anterior negativity)

tracks syntactic/grammar violations

• semantics: temporal lobe

• syntax: parietal + frontal lobe

FOXP2 gene

may show a genetic cmpnt of language: if impaired: language/speech disruptions

mirror neurons

repetition suppression occurs (premotor, SMA, parietal regions)

• tied to empathy + ToM

3 functional cmpnts of language comprehension

• memory (knowledge)

• unification (integration)

• control (social interactions)

dorsal pathway

• Temporal to PMC via IPC (motor planning)

• Temporal to Broca’s area (44/45) via arcuate fasciculus (syntax)

ventral pathway

• subserving auditory-to-meaning

  • Transfer of info to inferior frontal regions

paraphasic errors

word substitution

apraxia

inability to speak

anomia

inability to name objects

• mild aphasia

• word-finding difficulties

alexia

inability to read

aphasia

broad-term deficit in comprehension or production

Broca’s aphasia

can understand language, but has speech initiation problems (poor grammar, missing words

Wernicke’s aphasia

speech initation intact (syntax/grammar preserved), but “word salad” (no meaning)

• malapropisms: using words that sound similar but dont’t make contextual sense

• receptive aphasia

conduction aphasia

no comprehension problems, speech production largely OK

• frequent paraphasic speech errors (word substitutions)

• impaired vertaim repetition

• deficit in phonological short-term memory

white matter lesion cause?

global aphasia

broad damage to LH

• problems reading, writing, speaking, understanding

• can have preserved non-language cognition

primary progressive aphasia

linked to neurodegenerative disease