Broca's Area

Broca’s Area

Region of the brain responsible for speech production, articulation, and language processing.

Location

Posterior part of the inferior frontal gyrus of the dominant hemisphere (usually the left).

Brodmann Areas for Broca’s Area

Composed of Brodmann areas 44 and 45.

Area 44 (Pars Opercularis)

Involved in motor aspects of speech — coordinating tongue, lips, and vocal cord movement.

Area 45 (Pars Triangularis)

Involved in semantic and syntactic processing (word meaning and grammar).

Associated Lobe

Frontal lobe.

Primary Blood Supply

Middle cerebral artery (MCA), particularly its superior division.

Function

Controls the motor planning and coordination required for speech; converts thoughts into spoken or written language.

Neural Connections

Connected to Wernicke’s area via the arcuate fasciculus to integrate comprehension and speech production.

Related Structures

Motor cortex (for speech muscles), prefrontal cortex (for planning), and Wernicke’s area (for comprehension).

Damage Effect

Results in Broca’s aphasia, also known as expressive or non-fluent aphasia.

Broca’s Aphasia Characteristic

Speech is slow, effortful, and fragmented; writing and repetition are impaired but comprehension is mostly intact.

Comprehension Ability

Generally preserved; patients understand language but struggle to produce fluent speech.

Speech Pattern Example

“Want… food… now” instead of “I want food now.”

Associated Symptoms

May include right-sided facial or arm weakness due to proximity to motor areas.

Common Causes

Stroke, traumatic brain injury, tumor, or infection affecting the left inferior frontal gyrus.

Diagnosis

Based on neurological examination, imaging (CT/MRI), and speech-language assessment.

Treatment Approach

Speech and language therapy, cognitive-linguistic rehabilitation, and neuroplasticity-based exercises.

Prognosis

Improves with consistent therapy; younger patients and smaller lesions have better recovery outcomes.

Historical Note

Discovered by French physician Paul Broca in 1861 after studying patients with speech loss but intact comprehension.