NEUROLOGICAL BASES OF SPEECH AND

LANGUAGE
 ■ Three basic brain functions
 ■ The major brain areas responsible for linguistic processing.
 ■ Brain lateralization.
 ■ The processes of language comprehension and production.
 Central Nervous System
 Nervous system consists of a brain, spinal cord, and all associated
nerves and sense organs.

Peripheral nervous system (PNS):

Central nervous system (CNS): Any neural tissue that exists
The brain and spinal cord make outside the CNS is part of the
up the central nervous system peripheral nervous system (PNS),
(CNS). which conducts impulses either
toward or away from the CNS.
ANATOMY OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
 Central nervous system
(brain + spinal cord)

 Peripheral nervous
system
(cranial nerves, spinal
nerves)

6
 Somatic and Autonomic nervous system

Somatic nervous Autonomic:

system:
Acting or
Transmits signals from occurring
the central nervous involuntarily,
system to skeletal without
muscles, and from conscious
receptors of external
stimuli, thereby
control.
mediating sight, hearing,
and touch.
 Sympathetic and parasympathetic system

The sympathetic The parasympathet

nervous system ic nervous system

prepares the body relaxes the body and

for intense physical
activity inhibits or slows
many high energy
referred to as the functions.
fight-or-flight
response.
 Nervous system
 Monitors your body’s state by conducting messages from the senses and
organs and responding to this information by conducting messages to
the organs and muscles.

 These messages are transmitted through nerves.

 Neuron
 The neuron or nerve cell is the basic unit of your nervous system.
 A nerve is a collection of neurons.
 There are approximately 100 billion neurons in your nervous system.
 Each neuron consists of three parts:
 a cell body,
 a single long axon that transmits impulses away from the cell body, and
 several branchy dendrites that receive impulses from other cells and
transmit them to the cell body.
Basic neuron
Nerve cell types
 Efferent and afferent pathways

Nerves that conduct Nerves that conduct

messages toward information away
the brain are called called efferent
afferent nerves nerves.
 3 types

Sensory Motor Inter

ACTION POTENTIALS
Action potentials
Brain
Three basic brain functions

Regulation

Processing

Formulation.
 Regulation function
 The regulation function is responsible for the energy level and for the
overall tone of the cortex.

 By maintaining the brain at a basic level of awareness and responsively,

this process, LOCATED IN THE RETICULAR FORMATION OF THE
BRAINSTEM, aids the performance of the other two functions.
 Processing function
 Located in the rear of the cortex, controls information analysis,
coding, and storage.

 Highly specialized regions are responsible for the processing of sensory

stimuli.

 Data from each source are combined with those from other sensory
sources for analysis and synthesis.
 Formulation process
 Located in the frontal lobe, is responsible for the formation of
intentions and programs for behavior.

 This function serves primarily to activate the brain for regulation of

attention and concentration.

 Motor behaviors are planned and coordinated.

 Brain

Cerebral
hemisphere Basal
Cerebellum Brainstem
ganglia
 Three main divisions of the brain

 Forebrain,
 Midbrain,
 Hindbrain.
 Forebrain:
 The forebrain is the largest part of the brain.
 Due its role in much complex behaviour, including speech
and hearing, it is designated as the highest division of the brain.
 CEREBRAL CORTEX CEREBRAL
HEMISPHERES:
CEREBRAL LOBES: 4
the outermost covering of
cerebrum. Two cerebral
Frontal lobe, Parietal
Its marked by several gyri hemispheres (right and
lobe, Temporal lobe,
(convulsions), left), are connected with
Occipital lobe.
sulci(depressions), and each other though corpus
fissures. callosum.
 Brain is the centre of nervous system
Grey matter: It
contains the cell
bodies and dendrite
of nerve cells. It is
mainly cytoplasm.
It appears grey to
the naked eye.
White mater: It
contains the axons
and myelin
sheathes of nerve
cells.
 CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES
 Gray matter
 LOBES
 GYRI
 SULCI
 FISSURES

 Left and right cerebral

hemisphere

 Largest portion of the brain

 Weighs 40% of the brain`s total

35
Hemisphere –
Left & Right
Cerebral lobes
 FRONTAL LOBE:
 Underneath frontal bones, two frontal lobes are present.
1. Central sulcus ( fissure of rolando ) divides frontal lobe from
parietal lobe.
2. Fissure of Sylvius (lateral fissure ) divides frontal lobe from
temporal lobe.
 FL: Functions are associated with
 reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and
problem solving.
 CORTICAL REGIONS OF FRONTAL LOBE:
 Precentral gyrus (primary motor area or motor strip)- area no.4.
 Its rearmost gyrus of frontal lobe and anterior to central sulcus.
 It controls the voluntary movements of skeletal muscles of the opposite side of the body.
 Premotor area (supplementary motor area): Immediately anterior to the motor strip.
 Superior frontal gyrus: It is involved with self awareness, and laughter.
 Middle frontal gyrus: Broadmann's area 46. It is helpful in sustaining attention, working
memory, and exibiting self control.
 Inferior gyrus:
a) Pars opercularis-44 (cortex posterior to the ascending ramus of lateral fissure)
b) Pars triangularis-45 (cortex between the ascending ramus and the horizontal
ramus of the lateral fissure)
c) Pars orbitalis-47 (cortex inferior and anterior to the horizontal ramus of the lateral fissure)
Broca area
 PARIETAL LOBE
 Posterior to the central sulcus and anterior to the occipital lobe.

 Function:
 Associated with sensation, including the sense of touch, kinesthesia,
perception of warmth and cold, and of vibration.

 It is also involved in writing and in some aspects of reading.

 CORTICAL REGIONS OF PARIETAL LOBE:
 Post central gyrus (primary sensory area or sensory strip): Sensation
of pain, temperature, touch and pressure.
 Presensory (secondary sensory or secondary association) area : more
detailed discrimination and analysis.
 Angular gyrus: area no. 39. Recognition of visual symbols.
Supramarginal
gyrus

49
 OCCIPITAL LOBE
 Most posterior lobe.
 CORTICAL REGIONS
 Primary visual area: area no. 17. Receives input from the optic
tract via the thalamus.
 Secondary visual area: integrate visual information, giving
meaning to what is seen by relating the current stimulus to past
experiences and knowledge.
 TEMPORAL LOBE

 Inferior to the lateral fissure and anterior to the occipital lobe.

 Functions:

1. It is associated with auditory processing and olfaction.

2. It is also involved in semantics, or word meaning.

 Primary auditory cortex:( anterior transverse temporal gyrus or
heschel's gyrus)-are no. 41,42. It is located in superior temporal gyrus.
Responding for hearing.
 Primary olfactory cortex: Interprets the sense of smell once it reaches
the cortex via the olfactory bulbs. ( Not visible on the superficial cortex)
 Secondary auditory or auditory association area : Important
contribution to the comprehension of speech. They are part of
Wernicke's area.
 BROADMANNA AREAS
 Primary sensory cortex(postcentral gyrus) - 1,2,3
 Primary motor cortex(precentral gyrus) -4
 Primary visual cortex(medial occipital lobe) - 17
 Primary auditory cortex(Heschel’s gyrus) - 41,42
 Sensory association cortex(superior parietal lobe) – 5,7
 Association language cortex of Wernicke (superior temporal gyrus) - 22
 Motor cortex of Broca (lower third frontal convulsion) - 44
 Supramarginal gyrus - 40
 Angular gyrus - 39
CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES – WHITE MATTER
 White matter
 FASICULI
 COMMISSURE

56
(Transverse view)
 Arcuate Fascisculus

Wernicke

58
Broca
 Sub cortical structures within the cerebral
hemisphere:
BASAL GANGLIA
 Situated at the base of the forebrain and strongly connected with
the cerebral cortex, thalamus and other areas.
 Main components of basal ganglia are : (Together called corpus
striatum)
1. Caudate nucleus,
2. Lenticular nucleus (Putamen + Globus pallidus), and
3. Substantia nigra.
SUBCORTICAL STRUCTURES

 Basal ganglia/basal
nuclei
 Thalamus &
hypothalamus

61
 HIPPOCAMPUS

 It consists of 2 horns that curve back from the amygdala.

 Role in long term memory and spatial navigation. It is
highly involved in the transition of short term memory to long
term memory.
 Damage to hippocampus will lead to Alzheimer’s disease.
 AMYGDALA
 Almond shaped group of nuclei located deep
within the temporal lobes, medial to
hypothalamus and adjacent to hippocampus.

 It receives input from all modalities.

 Highly involved in perception of emotion and

is reactive to emotional contexts (particularly
fear).
 3 major nuclei of amygdala
 a) Medial nucleus- receives olfactory information ; Sends
excitatory signals to hypothalamus -drive/motivation
 B) Lateral/ basolateral nucleus - receives sensory information
and information about memories (hippocampus) sends
excitatory signals to the nucleus accumbens- (reward/motor
region).
 c) Central nucleus- arousal (hypothalamus, midbrain
structure,pons, and medulla)-arousal/drive/motivation.
THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

68
 CORPUS CALLOSUM
 The corpus callosum consists of a series of white
myelinated fiber tracts running between the cerebral
hemispheres.
 These afferent and efferent fibres begin posteriorly just in front of
the medial aspects of the occipital lobe, and they anteriorly along
the medial aspects of the frontal lobe.
 The corpus callosum is the major interconnecting link between the
two cerebral hemispheres, thus permitting the brain to work as a
functional whole.
 The body of the corpus callosum is arched; its anterior curved
portion the genu continuous anteroventrally as the rostrum.
 The posterior portion terminates in the curved splenlum, which
lies over the midbrain.
Cerebellum

 Part of the hindbrain

 Responsible for balance/
coordination
 coordinating motor commands
with sensory inputs to control
movements.
 Damage results in:
Ataxia, gait deficits, problems
with fine movements, control
of rate and range of movement,
dysarthria

72
 Brainstem

 The brainstem is the posterior part of the brain that connects to the
spinal cord (which relays signals to and from the body)
 The brainstem:
 Pons
 Medulla oblongata (often referred to as the medulla)
 Midbrain
 The brainstem (via the medulla) controls automatic and involuntary
activities (breathing, swallowing, heart rate, etc.)
BRAINSTEM

75
 Peripheral Nervous System

CRANIAL NERVE AND SPINAL NERVE

77
Cranial Nerves -->
“On Old Olympus
Towering Tops A
Finn And German
Vended At Hops”