Broca area

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Human brain (from left). You can see the two main components of the language center: Broca area (language production) and Wernicke area (language understanding).

The Broca area , Broca center or Brocasche language region is a region of the cerebral cortex and, together with the Wernicke area, is regarded as one of the two main components of the language center . The Broca center takes on the motor function. The Broca area is named after the French surgeon Paul Broca (1824–1880), who discovered it in 1861.

localization

The Broca area is a region of the cerebral cortex , which is located in the pars triangularis of the inferior frontal gyrus , usually on the left hemisphere of the brain. According to Korbinian Brodmann's division , it is located in the area of Brodmann areas 44 and 45. The Broca area is connected to the Wernicke area via the arcuate fasciculus .

function

The neural networks in Broca's area are primarily considered to be responsible for the grammatical aspects of languages. Children up to around three years of age train their language in this center. Second languages learned later are stored separately in neighboring brain areas close to Broca's area.

Recent studies with (non-) invasive imaging methods such as positron emission tomography (invasive) and functional magnetic resonance tomography (non-invasive) have shown that the Broca Center is responsible for speech motor skills, sound formation, sound analysis, articulation and the formation of abstract words. It has also been proven that the Wernicke Language Center is responsible for the auditory sensors and for logical language processing. Both areas are connected to one another by the arcuate fasciculus .

However, the modern methods also showed that the neural interconnection of the areas involved in language processing is much more complex than long assumed and that other brain areas are included (see language center ).

damage

Damage to the brain in Broca's area leads to aphasia , an acquired language disorder in which speech understanding remains largely intact. However, it is (almost) impossible for the person affected to speak for themselves. Some patients are still able to formulate sentences with great effort, which are, however, incomplete ( telegram style ). There is no paralysis of the muscles of the organs required for articulation . When Broca's aphasia is the so-called motor aphasia (synonym expressive aphasia ). This is in contrast to sensory aphasia , which is due to damage to the Wernicke center .

literature

  • Clemens Kirschbaum (Ed.): Biopsychologie von A bis Z. Springer, Berlin 2008, ISBN 3-540-39603-9 , pp. 41–42.
  • Niels Birbaumer, Robert F. Schmidt: Biological Psychology . Springer, Berlin 2010, ISBN 3-540-95937-8 , pp. 752-753.

Web links

Commons : Broca's area  - collection of images, videos and audio files