Neuroscience – speech and language
Lateralisation:
Lateralisation (brain asymmetry, hemispheric specialisation); structural and functional
differences in left and right hemisphere. Mainly means differences in sensory, motor,
cognitive and emotional changes.
Left hemisphere
o Language
Right hemisphere
o Visuospatial (ruimtelijk) tasks (mental rotation)
o Emotion
Emotional aspects language
Emotional facial expression (left side of the face is under control
of right hemisphere: more fully expressed emotions left side
face)
o Facial recognition (recognizing who is that person, not recognizing
facial expressions) right inferior temporal lobe. Damage --> problems
with facial recognition; ‘facial blindness’ or prosopagnosia
The ‘dominant hemisphere idea’ is misleading. Because both hemispheres
participate in these processes: efficient subdivision of complex functions rather than
superiority of one hemisphere over the other.
The left hemisphere is dominant for language that is correct but that not make the left
hemisphere your dominant hemisphere shaping your personality.
Language lateralization:
Language; associate (koppel) arbitrary symbols (words) with specific meaning to
express ideas. It is a symbolic representation of objects, concepts and feelings. The
symbols can be spoken/heard, written/read, signed/seen.
Language requires;
Grammar; set of rules for using symbols
Syntax (zinsbouw); ordering of symbols to generate useful meanings
Prosody; emotional valence, ‘coloring’ of speech (stress, rhythm, pitch).
o Absent in written language
Punctuation (?!)
Typography; bold italic underlines
Emotions
Cortical language areas:
What do we need when we want to speak:
Motor activity because moving face when talking and control mouth, tongue,
larynx
Auditive cortex for sound perception
Visual cortex for perception written language and sign
language
2 cortical language area; only on left side of the brain
1. Broca’s areas; in ventroposterior frontal lobe. Produce
language
Lateralisation:
Lateralisation (brain asymmetry, hemispheric specialisation); structural and functional
differences in left and right hemisphere. Mainly means differences in sensory, motor,
cognitive and emotional changes.
Left hemisphere
o Language
Right hemisphere
o Visuospatial (ruimtelijk) tasks (mental rotation)
o Emotion
Emotional aspects language
Emotional facial expression (left side of the face is under control
of right hemisphere: more fully expressed emotions left side
face)
o Facial recognition (recognizing who is that person, not recognizing
facial expressions) right inferior temporal lobe. Damage --> problems
with facial recognition; ‘facial blindness’ or prosopagnosia
The ‘dominant hemisphere idea’ is misleading. Because both hemispheres
participate in these processes: efficient subdivision of complex functions rather than
superiority of one hemisphere over the other.
The left hemisphere is dominant for language that is correct but that not make the left
hemisphere your dominant hemisphere shaping your personality.
Language lateralization:
Language; associate (koppel) arbitrary symbols (words) with specific meaning to
express ideas. It is a symbolic representation of objects, concepts and feelings. The
symbols can be spoken/heard, written/read, signed/seen.
Language requires;
Grammar; set of rules for using symbols
Syntax (zinsbouw); ordering of symbols to generate useful meanings
Prosody; emotional valence, ‘coloring’ of speech (stress, rhythm, pitch).
o Absent in written language
Punctuation (?!)
Typography; bold italic underlines
Emotions
Cortical language areas:
What do we need when we want to speak:
Motor activity because moving face when talking and control mouth, tongue,
larynx
Auditive cortex for sound perception
Visual cortex for perception written language and sign
language
2 cortical language area; only on left side of the brain
1. Broca’s areas; in ventroposterior frontal lobe. Produce
language
