There May Not Be a Single Language Comprehension Center in the Brain

A recent paper in the journal Brain, a journal of neurology, challenges the long-held notion that the sensory speech area of the left temporal lobe of the cerebrum—often called the Wernicke area—acts as the center of language comprehension.Wernicke areaThe report describes research that leads one to the conclusion that although the Wernicke area (pictured) apparently has a role in understanding individual words, the task of sentence comprehension is accomplished by a complex network of diverse areas of the cerebrum. These include, "temporoparietal components of Wernicke’s area, Broca’s area, and [the] dorsal premotor cortex."What can we use from this in teaching undergraduate A&P?When discussing the sensory speech (Wernicke) area, one might bring up this discovery and how it may modify our description of its main function.This discovery is a good example of how science works—how theories are formed and how they are modified as new information is discovered.  And how new research must be confirmed before it becomes widely established as fact.When discussing cerebral localization of function, this story may be helpful in emphasizing that complex cerebral functions often involve integration of diverse cortical areas.This story is a good example of our rapidly advancing knowledge of complex brain function.You'll sound very "with it" when you can drop in casual asides about the latest brain research in your classroom discussions!Want to know more?New Human Brain...

Source: The A and P Professor - June 26, 2015 Category: Physiology Authors: Kevin Patton Source Type: blogs