Speech, Language, and Brain Power!

Joanna Casella, Verrazano Class of 2019, Completed Major in English Writing, with Minors in Philosophy and Psychology

 Throughout my research on the power of language and the brain, I learned how different areas in our brain influence the way we communicate with others. Although the brain is an intricate and complex entity in itself, the four major areas I researched were Broca’s area, Wernicke’s area, the arcuate fasciculus and the motor cortex. By investigating the different regions of the brain, I was able to uncover the importance of each region and how scientists were able to identity the origins of speech disorders. 

Considering the first major area, Broca’s area can be linked to speech production in the left hemisphere of the brain. Patients with damage to Broca’s area struggle to articulate words into full sentences which coincides with Wernicke's area. Within Wernicke's area, it establishes the linguistic differences between aphasias produced by damage in the left temporal lobe. Thus, both regions are related since Broca’s area produces speech and Wernicke’s area comprehends it. The third major region, the arcuate fasciculus, demonstrates how a bundle of nerve fibers connect Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas together. By understanding how this region is broken up by different networks, I was able to examine how the motor cortex helps define language. The motor cortex is responsible for controlling the movement of muscles that allows us to speak and communicate with others. As a result of these four major regions, I learned how speech disorders occur such as apraxia and dysarthria. By researching specific cases such as Genie, I was able to have a broader understanding of the impact language has on the brain as well as our environment.

If I continue to pursue this research in the future, I would further develop my project by researching other areas of the brain that influence language. My paper discusses only four major areas; however, there are other regions within the brain that humans utilize in order to communicate. In addition, I would provide more individual case studies as evidence to show how different regions in the brain affect people’s language. 

These are two photos that helped influenced my research and provided me with a broad understanding of Broca’s area (picture 1) and the brain’s plasticity for speech disorders (picture 2).

Picture 1

Picture 2