LING 1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 32: Medial Longitudinal Fissure, Lateral Sulcus, Vocal Tract
Language and the Brain
Lateralization of Language
• The cerebrum is organized into two hemispheres: left and right, separated by the medial
longitudinal fissure
• 95% of right handed people have language function lateralized in the left hemisphere
• Language is more symmetric for left handed people
Gross Anatomy: Gyri and Sulci
• Gyrus: the ridge of the cerebral cortex. Plural is gyri, also called a convolution
• Sulcus: a furrow (valley) of the cerebral cortex. Plural is sulci, also called a fissure
• Central sulcus: separates the frontal and parietal lobes
• Lateral (Sylvian Fissure): separates the temporal lobe from the frontal and parietal lobes
• Relative directions and love names help name gyri and sulci
o Directions: superior, medial, inferior, anterior, posterior
o Lobes: frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital
o Ex: Superior Temporal Gyrus
There is no single "language cortex"
• Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus (LiFG) - Broca's area, syntax and morphology
• Posterior Superios Temporal Gyrus (PSTG) - Wernicke's area, phonology
• Temporal Lobe - morphology and lexical access
How Do we Study the Brain?
Option 1. Language Disorders
o Language disorders can be caused by brain injury
o Dysarthria: muscle weakness of the vocal tract, caused by damage to the nervous
system (including motor cortex) from stroke, Parkinson's, ALS and more
o Apraxia: paralysis or other malfunction of the vocal tract, caused by damage to the
motor cortex that disrupts the motor signals to the vocal tract (typically stroke)
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LING 1010 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
Lateralization of language: the cerebrum is organized into two hemispheres: left and right, separated by the medial longitudinal fissure, 95% of right handed people have language function lateralized in the left hemisphere. Language is more symmetric for left handed people. Gross anatomy: gyri and sulci: gyrus: the ridge of the cerebral cortex. Plural is gyri, also called a convolution: sulcus: a furrow (valley) of the cerebral cortex. Plural is sulci, also called a fissure: central sulcus: separates the frontal and parietal lobes. Lateral (sylvian fissure): separates the temporal lobe from the frontal and parietal lobes: relative directions and love names help name gyri and sulci, directions: superior, medial, inferior, anterior, posterior, lobes: frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital, ex: superior temporal gyrus. Left inferior frontal gyrus (lifg) - broca"s area, syntax and morphology: posterior superios temporal gyrus (pstg) - wernicke"s area, phonology, temporal lobe - morphology and lexical access.
