Speech Sciences Chapter 3: Neurology and Respiration

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering neurology, neural firing, speech anatomy, brain mapping, and respiratory physiology for speech sciences.

Neurology

The study of the nervous system, focused in speech production on how neural signals organize movements across breathing, laryngeal, and oral structures.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The structural division of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The neural structures located outside the CNS that connect it to the rest of the body.

Efferent signals

Motor signals that always travel away from the CNS toward peripheral targets such as muscles.

Afferent signals

Sensory signals that travel toward the CNS, carrying sensory information arriving from the body.

Brainstem

A major neural structure consisting of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla that connects with the spinal cord.

Cerebellum

The neural structure located behind the brainstem that contributes to movement coordination.

Neuron

A specialized cell responsible for receiving, integrating, and transmitting information in the nervous system.

Dendrites

Branching structures of a neuron that generally receive incoming input and signals.

Axon

The neural projection that carries an action potential away from the cell body toward its target.

Action potential

A brief change in voltage across a neuron's membrane generated in an all-or-none fashion once a threshold is reached.

Depolarization

The rising phase of an action potential in which voltage-gated sodium channels open and sodium enters the cell, making the inside less negative and briefly positive.

Repolarization

The falling phase of an action potential where potassium exits the neuron through voltage-gated channels to bring the membrane voltage back down.

Synapse

The specialized junction where a neuron communicates with another cell.

Synaptic cleft

The small physical space separating the presynaptic terminal from the postsynaptic receiving cell.

Aphasia

An acquired language disorder that can impair the understanding and expression of spoken and written language.

Apraxia of speech

A motor speech disorder characterized by impaired planning or programming of speech movements.

Dysarthria

A motor speech disorder involving impaired motor execution resulting from abnormalities in strength, coordination, speed, or tone.

Fissure of Rolando

The older anatomical name for the central sulcus, situated directly between the primary motor strip in the frontal lobe and the sensory strip.

Broca's area

A classic language-related region located in the left inferior frontal region of the brain.

Wernicke's area

A classic language-related region classically associated with the posterior temporal region of the left hemisphere.

Wada testing

A presurgical procedure involving the temporary suppression of one cerebral hemisphere to evaluate what functions the opposite hemisphere can support.

Spoonerism

A speech error where corresponding phonetic elements swap places, typically constrained by consonants exchanging with consonants and vowels with vowels.

Motor unit

A single motor neuron together with all the individual muscle fibers it innervates.

Boyle's law

The physical law establishing an inverse relationship between volume and pressure, explaining how changes in lung volume drive airflow.

Floating ribs

Rib pairs $11$ and $12$, which connect posteriorly to vertebrae but possess no anterior attachment to the sternum.

Visceral pleura

The delicate pleural membrane that directly envelopes and covers the outer surface of the lungs.

Parietal pleura

The outer pleural membrane lining the inner thoracic wall, superior surface of the diaphragm, and mediastinum.

External intercostal muscles

Superficial muscles between the ribs whose fibers orient downward and forward, primarily functioning to elevate and expand the rib cage during inspiration.

Interosseous internal intercostals

The portions of internal intercostal muscles situated between the bony rib segments that act to depress and compress the rib cage during active expiration.

Interchondral internal intercostals

The parasternal portions of internal intercostal muscles situated between costal cartilages that participate in inspiratory rib cage elevation.

Tidal volume

The volume of air inhaled or exhaled in a typical, quiet respiratory cycle, representing approximately $10\%$ of vital capacity.

Vital capacity

The maximum volume of air that can be exhaled following a maximum inhalation.

Residual volume

The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a maximal, complete expiration.

Functional residual capacity

The volume of air remaining in the respiratory tract after a normal passive exhalation, resting around $40\%$ of vital capacity.

Inspiratory checking

Active muscular braking by inspiratory muscles during early expiration at high lung volumes to resist elastic recoil and control the release of air.

Subglottal pressure

The aerodynamic air pressure built up and maintained directly beneath the closed or vibrating vocal folds.

Fundamental frequency ($f_0$)

The acoustic rate of vocal fold vibration that contributes to the perceived pitch of speech.