Definition
- Aphasia (dysphasia) is loss or impairment of production and/or comprehension of spoken or written language due to an acquired lesion of the brain.
- Language and speech areas (the "language zone") lie in association cortex around the Sylvian fissure (perisylvian areas).
Language and Speech Areas of the Brain
Receptive and executive language areas
Area
Wernicke's area (area 22)
- Type
- Receptive
- Location
- Superior temporal lobe (parieto-temporo-occipital association cortex)
- Function
- Comprehension, recognition and construction of spoken language
Angular gyrus (area 39, Dejerine's area)
- Type
- Receptive
- Location
- Inferior parietal lobule, anterior to the visual receptive area
- Function
- Perception of written language
Areas 41 and 42
- Type
- Receptive
- Location
- Association cortex
- Function
- Processing of spoken language
Broca's area (areas 44 and 45)
- Type
- Executive (motor)
- Location
- Frontal lobe, prefrontal association cortex adjacent to motor cortex
- Function
- Motor programming of speech; regulates muscles of lips, tongue, pharynx, larynx
Exner writing area
- Type
- Executive (motor)
- Location
- Posterior frontal lobe
- Function
- Expresses visually perceived words in writing