- Broca P (1861) Remarques sur la siège de la faculté du langage articulé; suivies d'une
observation d'aphemie. Bulletin de la societé anatomique de Paris, année 36, serie 2, tome 6:
330-357. Translated by Bonin G von (1960) in Some Papers on the Cerebral Cortex.
Translated from the French and German. Springfield, Ill.: Thomas. - Wernicke C (1874) Der aphasische Symptomencomplex, Breslau: Franck und Weigert.
Translation: The symptom complex of aphasia, in Cohen RS & Wartofsky MW, eds (1969)
Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 4, pp 34-97. - Geschwind N (1969) The work and influence of Wernicke. In Cohen RS & Wartofsky MW, eds
Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 4, pp 1-33. - Geschwind N (1969) Anatomy and the higher functions of the brain. In Cohen RS & Wartofsky
MW, eds Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 4, pp 98-136. - Geschwind N (1970) The organization of language and the brain. Science 170:940-944.
3 - Motor aphasia
Language can be lost in adulthood by strokes that
disrupt the speech motor region of the inferior frontal
gyrus (motor aphasia) or strokes that damage the
auditory receptive field of the temporal lobe (sensory
aphasia). Broca (1861) described location of the
damage that produces motor aphasia, which is
therefore also known as Broca's aphasia [1].
Wernicke (1874) determined that damage of the
auditory receptive area of the temporal lobes is
responsible for sensory aphasia, in which
understanding of language becomes severely
impaired [2, 3]. These areas of the cerebral cortex
are shown in figure 13. Both the speech-motor and
speech-receptive areas are usually functional on the
left side of the cerebral cortex.
The language disorder in autism is different from
either Broca’s or Wernicke’s aphasia. Idiomatic
expressions and other frequently used phrases
become unavailable for speech production in Broca's
aphasia. However understanding remains intact [4].
This often causes considerable distress in the person
who has had a stroke affecting the inferior frontal
gyrus. The desire to communicate is not lost, but the
person becomes incapable of producing more than
monosyllabic utterances using major word stems [5].
One of our patients at Bridgewater State Hospital was
afflicted by Broca's aphasia. In addition to loss of
fluent speech, he was paralyzed on the right side, a
sign of left hemisphere impairment. He continued to
play brilliant games of chess and dominoes, and
expressed interest in the conversations going on
around him. Asked if he had gone to college, he
replied "No." Asked what kind of work he did, he
managed to say, "Truck driver." He took pleasure in
the discussion that followed in which everyone
expressed admiration for men who drive eighteen-
wheelers across the country. Someone suggested
that being away on the road so much must put a strain
on family life, to which the patient replied, "Two
bullets." He was serving a life sentence, though with a
"not guilty by reason of insanity" (NGI) status.
The patient with Broca's aphasia eventually required
more intensive care because of his paralysis. He
struggled to use the walker, and when praised and
encouraged to keep trying would respond, "Have to."
After falling and breaking his hip, he was finally sent to
a hospital that provided more intensive care. A few
months later, a young man with terminal AIDS arrived
at Bridgewater. He suffered a sudden stroke on the
admissions unit, which left him with Broca's aphasia
and paralyzed on the right side. He spoke mostly
Spanish, but his monosyllabic tone of voice was so
similar to that of the former truck driver that several
people passing by the door of the infirmary thought
the truck driver had returned.
Broca's aphasia is distinctive. Broca's aphasia results
from a motor impairment within the frontal lobe, that
usually also causes paralysis of the arm and leg on
the right side. Sometimes Broca's aphasia is
misinterpreted to be an expressive disorder. This it is
not, and the so-called “expressive disorder” of
children with autism is distinctly different.
Language can be lost in adulthood by strokes that
disrupt the speech motor region of the inferior frontal
gyrus (motor aphasia) or strokes that damage the
auditory receptive field of the temporal lobe (sensory
aphasia). Broca (1861) described location of the
damage that produces motor aphasia, which is
therefore also known as Broca's aphasia [1].
Wernicke (1874) determined that damage of the
auditory receptive area of the temporal lobes is
responsible for sensory aphasia, in which
understanding of language becomes severely
impaired [2, 3]. These areas of the cerebral cortex
are shown in figure 13. Both the speech-motor and
speech-receptive areas are usually functional on the
left side of the cerebral cortex.
The language disorder in autism is different from
either Broca’s or Wernicke’s aphasia. Idiomatic
expressions and other frequently used phrases
become unavailable for speech production in Broca's
aphasia. However understanding remains intact [4].
This often causes considerable distress in the person
who has had a stroke affecting the inferior frontal
gyrus. The desire to communicate is not lost, but the
person becomes incapable of producing more than
monosyllabic utterances using major word stems [5].
One of our patients at Bridgewater State Hospital was
afflicted by Broca's aphasia. In addition to loss of
fluent speech, he was paralyzed on the right side, a
sign of left hemisphere impairment. He continued to
play brilliant games of chess and dominoes, and
expressed interest in the conversations going on
around him. Asked if he had gone to college, he
replied "No." Asked what kind of work he did, he
managed to say, "Truck driver." He took pleasure in
the discussion that followed in which everyone
expressed admiration for men who drive eighteen-
wheelers across the country. Someone suggested
that being away on the road so much must put a strain
on family life, to which the patient replied, "Two
bullets." He was serving a life sentence, though with a
"not guilty by reason of insanity" (NGI) status.
The patient with Broca's aphasia eventually required
more intensive care because of his paralysis. He
struggled to use the walker, and when praised and
encouraged to keep trying would respond, "Have to."
After falling and breaking his hip, he was finally sent to
a hospital that provided more intensive care. A few
months later, a young man with terminal AIDS arrived
at Bridgewater. He suffered a sudden stroke on the
admissions unit, which left him with Broca's aphasia
and paralyzed on the right side. He spoke mostly
Spanish, but his monosyllabic tone of voice was so
similar to that of the former truck driver that several
people passing by the door of the infirmary thought
the truck driver had returned.
Broca's aphasia is distinctive. Broca's aphasia results
from a motor impairment within the frontal lobe, that
usually also causes paralysis of the arm and leg on
the right side. Sometimes Broca's aphasia is
misinterpreted to be an expressive disorder. This it is
not, and the so-called “expressive disorder” of
children with autism is distinctly different.
- Broca P (1861) Remarques
sur la siège de la faculté du
langage articulé; suivies
d'une observation
d'aphemie. Translated by
Bonin G von (1960) in Some
Papers on the Cerebral
Cortex. - Wernicke C (1874) Der
aphasische
Symptomencomplex.
Translation: The symptom
complex of aphasia, in
Cohen RS & Wartofsky MW,
eds (1969) Boston Studies
in the Philosophy of Science. - Geschwind N (1969) The
work and influence of
Wernicke. - Geschwind N (1969)
Anatomy and the higher
functions of the brain. - Geschwind N (1970) The
organization of language
and the brain.
---------------
-------------------------
- Functional
areas of the cerebral cortex
areas of the cerebral cortex
