S&LA CH3: Neurological Bases of Speech and Language

neurons

(nerve cells) the basic unit of your nervous system

Both ____________ and ____________ are processed by your brain's information processing system.

Both thought and language are processed by your brain's information processing system.

A type of processing that is data driven. Analysis occurs at the levels of sound and syllable discrimination and proceeds upward to recognition and comprehension.

Bottom-up processing

In the left hemisphere, incoming language is held briefly in ________ while processed by ________ with assistance from the ________and the ________.

Broca's area Wernicke's area supramarginal gyrus angular gyrus.

where is the greatest frontal lobe activity?

Broca's area in both imitating or observing speech movements

Explain briefly how language is processed relative to specific areas of the brain.

Comprehension goes from the ear to Heschl's area with 60% of the information crossing to the opposite hemisphere and 40% staying on the same side; then the two Heschl's areas divide linguistic from paralinguistic data, sending the linguistic to Wernicke's area in the left temporal lobe. Wernicke's area processes the linguistic information with aid from the angular and supramarginal gyri. Wernicke's area formulates the message and sends it via the arcuate fasciculus to Broca's area in the frontal lobe. Broca's area is a computer that programs the motor strip, which in turn sends nerve impulses to the muscles of speech. Broca's area does not send nerve impulses directly to the muscles.

Damage to areas of the brain used for speech

Damage to any of these areas results in disruption of linguistic production, but with different effects.

________ sends paralinguistic acoustic information to the right hemisphere and linguistic information to the left hemisphere.

Each Heschl's

True or false: Broca's area send nerve impulses directly to the muscles.

False (do not send)

Damage to Broca's area

Finally, damage to Broca's area results in speech difficulties, but writing and language comprehension may be relatively unaffected.

Theory of Mind is concerned with the following:

How brain activity produces the mind. How we gain an understanding that others also have minds. How we learn to recognize and form hypotheses about the different and separate beliefs, desires, mental states, and intentions in others.

Damage to the arcuate fasciculus

If damage occurs to the arcuate fasciculus, speech is unaffected except for repetitive movements, but the resultant speech may not make sense.

Damage to Wernicke's area

Injury to Wernicke's area usually disrupts both expressive and receptive language abilities. If damage occurs to the arcuate fasciculus, speech is unaffected except for repetitive movements, but the resultant speech may not make sense. Finally, damage to Broca's area results in speech difficulties, but writing and language comprehension may be relatively unaffected.

Serial, or successive, processes

Located in the left frontal and temporal lobes, successive processes analyze information at one level and then pass it on to the next level.

simultaneous processing

Located in the occipital and parietal association areas and possibly in the right hemisphere, it deals with underlying meaning and relationships all at once.

Memory is best when linguistic information is deep processed,which includes semantic interpretation and elaboration and relating to your prior experience and existing knowledge.

Memory is best when linguistic information is deep processed,which includes semantic interpretation and elaboration and relating to your prior experience and existing knowledge.

Which type of processing is slow: parallel or serial?

Serial is more precise but is slow, therefore simultaneous processing must carry the bulk of the responsibility for comprehension.

TRUE OR FALSE the concept of the word is retrieved before the sound structure

TRUE

information processing

The way information is processed represents the voluntary problem-solving strategies of each person

System

This system includes cognitive processes involved in attention, perception, organization, memory, concept formation, problem-solving and transfer, and management or executive function. Comprehension of a sentence involves integration of all these processes.

a type of processing that is conceptually driven, or affected by your expectations concerning incoming information. In this way, the linguistic and nonlinguistic contexts enable you to predict the form and content of incoming linguistic information.

Top-down processing

True or false Confirmation is more rapid for signs (in sign language) than words (in speech).

True

nerve

a collection of neurons

Every stimulus event has both

a sensory impression or signal, which is inherent in the event, and an abstract or symbolic representation for that event. The signal is meaningful but nonlinguistic. For example, the sound of an engine may signal an automobile. In contrast, the abstract representation or word is linguistic in nature. Word retrieval from memory seems to proceed from semantic to phonological. In other words, the concept of the word is retrieved before the sound structure

mediational strategies

a symbol forms a link to some information example: an image might facilitate recall of an event

Serial, or successive, processes

a type of processing that are one-at-a-time in nature

Parallel, or simultaneous, processing

accesses multiple levels of analysis at the same time.

Involves the use of a comparator strategy that matches input with either a previously stored or a generated pattern or mental model.

active process

This model of processing forms gradually from active engagement with the environment and helps each of us make sense of the world, anticipate or predict, and plan.

active process

peripheral nervous system

any neural tissue that exists outside the CNS -consists of 12 cranial and 31 spinal nerves that describe the location where these nerves articulate with or interact with the CNS

Serial, or successive, processes

are one-at-a-time in nature. Located in the left frontal and temporal lobes, successive processes analyze information at one level and then pass it on to the next level. For example, the incoming frequency, intensity, and duration of a signal are synthesized to determine the phonemic features. These features are bundled into phonemic characteristics, then syllables, words, and so on until the message is understood. More precise but is slow

Structures

are the fixed anatomical and physiological features of your CNS. Structures and their functions are similar across healthy brains

Automatic processes

are those that are unintentional or that have become routinized and thus require very little of the available cognitive capacity. Automatic processing neither interferes with other tasks nor becomes more efficient

Information processing consists of four steps:

attention, discrimination, organization, and memory.

Attention includes both

awareness of a learning situation and active cognitive processing.

each neuron consists of three parts:

axon dendrites cell body

Language processing may be limited

by the amount of incoming and stored language data, the demands of the task, and your available cognitive resources Overload decreases efficiency

This knowledge is called Theory of Mind (ToM).

child must learn that people have thoughts, beliefs, and feelings, and that these may or may not be the same as the child's.

attention

includes both awareness of learning situation and active cognitive processing

In passive processing

incoming data are analyzed in fragments until enough information can be combined for you to recognize a pattern. This method is similar to bottom-up processing.

how is information organized?

information is organized or chunked by catagory

working memory

involved in both processing and storage of information holds the message during processing consists of several related systems for language processing under the control of a central executive

active process

involves the use of a comparator strategy that matches input with either a previously stored or a generated pattern or mental model. World knowledge forms a basis. This model forms gradually from active engagement with the environment and helps each of us make sense of the world, anticipate or predict, and plan.

Top-down processing

is conceptually driven, or affected by your expectations concerning incoming information. In this way, the linguistic and nonlinguistic contexts enable you to predict the form and content of incoming linguistic information. Knowledge, both cognitive and semantic, is used to cue lower order functions to search for particular information.

Bottom-up processing

is data driven. Analysis occurs at the levels of sound and syllable discrimination and proceeds upward to recognition and comprehension. For example, analysis of the word mouse would begin at the phoneme level with /m aυs/. Partially analyzed data from the perceptual level are passed upward and integrated with predictions from higher levels, which are moving down.

Transfer or generalization

is the ability to apply previously learned material in solving similar but novel problems. The greater the similarity between the two, the greater the transfer. When the two are very similar, generalization is called near transfer. When very dissimilar, it is called far transfer.

Theory of Mind

is the gradually expanding ability to understand that other people have their own thoughts, beliefs, and feelings.

what will poor organization quickly lead to?

it will quickly overload the storage capacity of your brain and hinder memory

LANGUAGE PROCESSING, BOTH EXPRESSIVE and receptive, is located primarily in the ______ hemisphere in most adults.

left hemisphere of the brain in most adults.

The ________ area is specialized for linguistic processing.

left temporal

Words may be stored in various locations based on

meaning, word class, sound pattern, and various associational categories.

brain stem consists of?

medulla oblongata pons thalamus midbrain -these structures regulate involuntary functions such as breathing and heart rate

arcuate fasciculus

message is transmitted though this region

supramarginal gyrus

processes units larger than words and the way they're joined together—syntax.

dendrites

receives impulses from other cells and transmit them to the cell body

Passive and active processing are based on

recognizing patterns of incoming information.

attending can be divided into orientation and reaction define reaction:

refers to the amount of time required for an individual to respond to stimulus reaction time is a function of the individual's ability to select the relevant dimensions of a task to which to respond

Information is retained in long-term memory by

rehearsal or repetition and organization.

effortful processing

requires concentration and attention by your brain for some, it is slower to develop and requires greater effort

Effortful processing

requires concentration and attention by your brain. For some, effortful processing is slower to develop and requires greater effort.

broca's area

responsible for detailing and coordinating the programming for verbalizing the message signal are then passed to the regions of the motor cortex that activate the muscles responsible for respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation -supports the auditory perception of speech

what happens when Broca's is damaged?

results in speech difficulties, but writing and language comprehension may be relatively unaffected

The incoming frequency, intensity, and duration of a signal are synthesized to determine the phonemic features. These features are bundled into phonemic characteristics, then syllables, words, and so on until the message is understood. This is an example of which type of processing?

serial processing

sensory impression (signal) vs abstract (symbolic representation)

signal is meaningful but nonlinguistic while the abstract representation or word is linguistic in nature

what happens when arcuate fasciculus is damaged?

speech is unaffected except for repetitive movements but the resultant speech may not make sense

CNS contains:

spinal cord (transmits impulses between your brain and the PNS) is encased in bond and three membranous layers called mininges

phonological buffers

stores phonological information and allows for silent rehearsal prior to speaking

structures vs. control processes

structures: are the fixed anatomical and physiological features of your CNS. structures and their functions are similar across most healthy brains. information processing: the way information is processed represents the voluntary problem-solving strategies of each person

executive function

supervises the organization and control of communication between the various systems and components

discrimination

the ability to identify stimuli differing along some dimension -requires a special type of memory (working memory) that holds the message during processing

attending can be divided into orientation and reaction define orientation:

the ability to sustain attention over time humans attend best when motivated and are especially attracted to high-intensity stimuli that are moving or undergoing change related to the individual's ability to determine the uniqueness of the stimulus

Theory of Mind (ToM).

the ability to understand the minds of other people and to comprehend and predict their behavior (Miller, 2006). It's called a theory because we can never really knowsomeone else's mind;we can only guess, using our ToM to theorizewhat others know, think, or feel. In other words, we each theorize on the mind of other people.

central nervous system

the brain and spinal cord

information processing system

this system includes cognitive processes involoved in attention, perception, organization, memory, concept formation, problem-solving, and transfer, and management or executive function -comprehension of a sentence involves integration of all these processes

autonmatic processes

those that are unintentional or that have become routinized thus require very little of the available cognitive capacity neither interferes with other tasks nor becomes more efficient with practice

Words for the processes of your mind include

thought, perception, memory, will, imagination,reason, and emotion.

mininges

three membranous layers covering the CNS

axon

transmits impulses away from the cell body

TRUE OR FALSE Both thought and language are processed by your brain's information processing system

true

true or false memory is fixed, thus better memory results from better organization.

true

what happens when Wernicke's area is damaged?

usually disrupts both expressive receptive language abilities

Angular gyrus

word recall

memory

your ability to recall information that has been previouly learned and stored

Metacognition

your knowledge of your own cognitive and memory processes, can facilitate encoding and retrieval and the use of problem-solving strategies.

reticular formation

-a compact unit of neurons within the brainstem -acts as an integrator of incoming auditory, visual, tactile, and other sensory inputs and as a filter to inhibit or facilitate sensory transmission

Sound entering each ear is divided. Eplain the division (include %).

60% crosses to Heschl's area on the other side of the brain while 40% is sent to Heschl's on the same side.

which type of nerves are especially important for speech, language and hearing?

cranial nerves

Executive function

determines cognitive strategies and activities needed for a task and monitors feedback and outcomes in order to reallocate resources if necessary.

Do neurons actually touch each other?

no, neurons do not actually touch each other but are close enough to enable chemical electrical impulses to "jump" the synapse between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites of the next

associated strategies

one symbol is linked to another, as in such common linkages as "men and women" or "pins and needles"

Attending can be divided into _______ and _________.

orientation and reaction.

neuroscience

the study of neuroanatomy or where structures are located and neurophysiologicolgy or how the brain functions

neurolinguistics

the study of the manner and location of processing linguistic information