Wernicke's area

From Psy3242

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[[Category:Brain areas]]
[[Category:Brain areas]]
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http://www.ling.upenn.edu/courses/Summer_2004/ling001/images/brain_localization.gif
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== '''History''' ==
== '''History''' ==
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This area was first identified by Carl Wernicke in 1874, after studying the aphasia caused by damage to Broca’s area.  He distinguished different types of aphasia, such as fluent aphasia and conduction aphasia that resulted from damage to this part of the temporal lobe.  The location of Wernicke’s area is described as the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus on the left hemisphere, immediately behind Heschel’s gyrus.
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This area was first identified by Carl Wernicke in 1874, after studying the aphasia caused by damage to Brocaâ��s area.  He distinguished different types of aphasia, such as fluent aphasia and conduction aphasia that resulted from damage to this part of the temporal lobe.  The location of Wernickeâ��s area is described as the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus on the left hemisphere, immediately behind Heschelâ��s gyrus.
== '''Purpose''' ==
== '''Purpose''' ==
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Wernicke’s area is responsible for linking speech sounds to stored representations of words. This area has neural pathways to Broca’s area, which is involved in the generation of speech, and the angular gyrus, which is important in understanding visually represented material.  Wernicke’s area receives the processed speech sounds from Heschel’s gyrus, which come from the ears, to be referenced to actual words.
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Wernickeâ��s area is responsible for linking speech sounds to stored representations of words. This area has neural pathways to Brocaâ��s area, which is involved in the generation of speech, and the angular gyrus, which is important in understanding visually represented material.  Wernickeâ��s area receives the processed speech sounds from Heschelâ��s gyrus, which come from the ears, to be referenced to actual words.
== '''Disorders''' ==
== '''Disorders''' ==
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Damage to Wernicke’s area causes language disorders, namely Wernicke’s aphasia.  This results in problems with fluent but non-sensical speech, from the ineffective monitoring of self-generated speech; and difficulties in understanding spoken language, from damage to one’s auditory memory of words.  The disordered speech is characterized by neologisms, non-words or made-up words, and paraphasias, semantically related but inappropriate words.
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Damage to Wernickeâ��s area causes language disorders, namely Wernickeâ��s aphasia.  This results in problems with fluent but non-sensical speech, from the ineffective monitoring of self-generated speech; and difficulties in understanding spoken language, from damage to oneâ��s auditory memory of words.  The disordered speech is characterized by neologisms, non-words or made-up words, and paraphasias, semantically related but inappropriate words.
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http://www.indiana.edu/~pietsch/brocawernicke.jpg
== '''Later Research''' ==
== '''Later Research''' ==
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Lichtheim’s later research yielded a model that linked Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area on a triangle with the third point being a concept center, in order to map the different types of aphasia resulting from damage to  the connections between the three.
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Lichtheimâ��s later research yielded a model that linked Brocaâ��s area and Wernickeâ��s area on a triangle with the third point being a concept center, in order to map the different types of aphasia resulting from damage to  the connections between the three.

Revision as of 04:23, 28 April 2008


brain_localization.gif

Contents

History

This area was first identified by Carl Wernicke in 1874, after studying the aphasia caused by damage to Broca�s area. He distinguished different types of aphasia, such as fluent aphasia and conduction aphasia that resulted from damage to this part of the temporal lobe. The location of Wernicke�s area is described as the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus on the left hemisphere, immediately behind Heschel�s gyrus.

Purpose

Wernicke�s area is responsible for linking speech sounds to stored representations of words. This area has neural pathways to Broca�s area, which is involved in the generation of speech, and the angular gyrus, which is important in understanding visually represented material. Wernicke�s area receives the processed speech sounds from Heschel�s gyrus, which come from the ears, to be referenced to actual words.

Disorders

Damage to Wernicke�s area causes language disorders, namely Wernicke�s aphasia. This results in problems with fluent but non-sensical speech, from the ineffective monitoring of self-generated speech; and difficulties in understanding spoken language, from damage to one�s auditory memory of words. The disordered speech is characterized by neologisms, non-words or made-up words, and paraphasias, semantically related but inappropriate words.

brocawernicke.jpg

Later Research

Lichtheim�s later research yielded a model that linked Broca�s area and Wernicke�s area on a triangle with the third point being a concept center, in order to map the different types of aphasia resulting from damage to the connections between the three.

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