Language & Lesion

Anatomy and Physiology 24-25, Ms.Naughton

Different ways language is used to communicate with others.

Reading, writing, speaking, body language, facial expressions, tone, gestures,

Wernike’s Area

The recognition of spoken/written language. Usually in left hemisphere. Plans speech, and transmits it to Brocas Area.

Brocas Area

Motor execution of speech, (muscles of lips, cheeks, tongue, larynx). Same hemisphere as Wernicke’s Area.

Emotional Aspects of Brocas and Wernikes.

Emotional aspects of language = mirror location of Wernicke and Brocas. Changes here = more monotone speech, harder to recognize tone.

Lesion

Local injury from infection, trauma, cancer, stroke.

Aphasia

Inability to produce language, due to lesions in Wernickes Area and Brocas Area

Lesions to Broca’s Area

Non-fluent aphasia. Slow speech, difficulty saying words.

Lesions to Wernicke’s Area

Normal pace of speech but use made up words.

Contralateral Neglect Syndrome

In parietal lobe, people are unaware of objects on the other side of their body → extreme = not recognized/use limbs on opposite side

Agnosia

Lesion in temporal lobe, inability to recognize familiar objects. When extreme, may not recognize faces.

Blindness

Lesion in occipital lobe

Lesions in fronal lobe:

Personality, judgement, expression of emotion.

Phineas Gage

At first he convulsed, then got up and he was talking before he went to the doctor. After a few months, he healed as much as he could, got another job, but had personality changes.

Synaptic Plasticity

Changing neuronal pathways, change in response to experiences, could make tasks easier or harder, depending on changes. (adding, removing a hearing pathway)

Synaptic Potentiation

Making transmission of impulses faster. especially in repeated activities.

Potentiation

Increased impulse strength along previously used pathways.

Areas with Memory

Hippocampus(organizes), Cerebellum (motor skills) , Amygdala (emotional memory)

Immediate Memory

Gives impressions of flow of events, seconds. Limited in size and number especially if we stop repeating/reciting info or get distracted . Info isn’t stored.

Short term memory

Seconds to hours, limited in size and number especially if we stop repeating/reciting info or get distracted. Working Memory. Info isn’t stored.

Working Memory

Hang on to information long enough to complete the task.

Long-Term Memory

Can last a lifetime, not limited in size. Physical remodeling of synapses, new synapses formed.

Procedural

Implicit, Long-term memory, motor skills, processes. Ride a bike, tie shoes, play an instrument. Basal Ganglia, Cerebellum.

Declarative

Explicit, long-term memory. Facts. Ex: Dates, names, address. Occurs in hippocampi (not stored here but organized into LTM) Damage here impacts ability to form new memories.

Amnesia

Defect in declarative memory.

Learning with Deprivation

Decreases the number of dendrites. Less dendrites = less neuron stimulation.

Learning with Stmulation

Increases the number of dendrites. Important for development in infants and children. Books, tys with contrast and color = stimulate brain and help with development.

Long-Term Potentiation

Transmission of impulses increase across “experienced” synapses. Increase in strength of existing neural pathways. Remodeling of synapses, increasing number of NT receptors. Relates to Memory and Alzheimer’s (associated with NT deficiency)

Lateralization

Differences between right and left cerebral hemispheres.

Categorical Hempishere

Specializes in spoken/written language and analytical thought and reasoning. Linear analyzation. Associated with left hemisphere.

Representational Hemisphere

Specializes in patterns and spatial relationships, links with musical and artistic skills. Associated with right hemisphere.

Hemispherectomy

Removal of one hemisphere. Anatomical - fully remove one hemisphere. Functional - disconnect hemisphere but leave it in.