Language and Language Disorders

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to language, phonology, aphasia, and developmental language disorders (DLD).

Phonology

System of sounds within a language.

Speech Segmentation

The slicing of a continuous speech stream.

Articulation

Combination of lips, teeth, tongue, and vocal folds.

Features of Phoneme Production

Voicing, place of articulation, and manner of production.

Sub-lexical Processing

Processing parts of the word (phonemes, morphemes).

Lexical Processing

Processing the entire word.

Word Superiority Effect

We recognize real words faster than random letter strings because we process them whole.

Typoglycemia Effect

If letters inside words are scrambled (but the first and last remain in place), we can still recognize the word.

Manner of Production

How the airflow is restricted to produce sound.

Fricatives

Some restriction of airflow within the oral cavity.

Stops

Complete airflow blockage.

Lexical Decision Task

Deciding if an item is a real word or a non-word.

Priming Effect

Activation of a concept or meaning of a word can spread in the brain's network.

Segmental Speech Sound Processing (Sub-lexical Route)

Breaking words into smaller phonetic units.

Whole-Word Phonological Processing (Lexical Route)

Fast recognition of common words without analyzing each phoneme.

Carl Wernicke

German physician who hypothesized that cognitive deficits could be localized in the cortex.

Wernicke's Aphasia

Impairment in comprehending language.

Broca's Aphasia

Non-fluent speech. Impairment in language production.

Ludwig Lichtheim

Expended Carl's model of language.

Auditory Center

Language comprehension, localized to Wernicke's area.

Motor Center

Language production, localized to Broca's area.

Concept Center

Semantic meaning, not localized; conceptual comprehension.

Descriptive Symptoms of Wernicke's Aphasia

Aware of impairment; uses gestures.

Transcortical Motor Aphasia

Preserved comprehension and repetition; impaired non-fluent speech.

Isolation Aphasia

Good repetition, impaired comprehension and non-fluent speech. Often includes echolalia.

Pure Word Deafness

Preserved some speech production, but impaired speech comprehension and repetition.

Transcortical Sensory Aphasia

Impaired comprehension; preserved speech repetition but impaired nonsensical speech.

Anomic Aphasia

Preserved fluent speech, good comprehension and repetition, but impaired word finding.

Dysarthria

Preserved comprehension and repetition, but impaired speech due to motor difficulties (mumbled speech).

Lexical knowledge

Meaning of the words

Syntax (sentence structure)

Subject-verb-object

Contextual knowledge

Resolve ambiguity

Phonological Form

How to produce the sounds

Phonemes

Short, distinctive sound units.

Morphemes

The smallest units that carry meaning.

Free Morphemes

Carry meaning by themselves

Bound Morphemes

Must attach to free morphemes

Words

The smallest unit carries lexical information (meaning).

Content Words

Provide content or meaning and typically carry lexical information.

Function Words

Give sentences their structure and describe relationships between elements.

DLD (Developmental Language Disorder)

Impairment in age-normed production or comprehension of language; not due to low cognitive function, hearing loss, or neurological damage.

Common Symptoms of DLD

Limited use of complex sentences, difficulty in finding the right words, phonetic challenges, disorganized storytelling/writing.

Difference Between Aphasia and DLD

DLD is not caused by acquired brain damage (unlike aphasia).

Core Symptoms of DLD

Syntax, morphology, and phonology.

Early Start-Up Period in DLD

Children with DLD can be delayed by 1 or 2 years.

Rapid-Growth Period in DLD

Rate of language development is similar in DLD.

Plateauing Period in DLD

Children with DLD do not "catch up."

Core language cortical regions

Broca's area (language production), Wernicke's area (language comprehension), arcuate fasciculus (connection between them).

Procedural Memory

Thought to support rule-based actions, such as grammar and inflectional morphology.

Procedural Deficit Hypothesis

DLD stems from abnormalities in the procedural memory system (particularly basal ganglia).

Domain Specific

Skills or processes specialized for a particular area.

Domain General

Cognitive processes that operate across multiple domains; flexible and can be applied to a wide variety of tasks.