Stroke
In patients with aphasia (language impairment) it was found that the Broca's area would be damaged and this usually occurred because of a stroke. Broca's area is one of the main areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for producing language. This brain area controls motor functions involved with speech production. Persons with damage to Broca's area of the brain can understand language but cannot properly form words or produce speech.
Broca's area is involved in several functions of the body including: language processing, facial neuron control and speech production. Whenever damage occurs in the Broca's area a person will have trouble putting sentences together.
The usual cause of damage to the area is a stroke (an interruption of blood flow to part of the brain).
In a class that I am taking this semester one of my professors mentioned that during the day he randomly went through a mild stroke. This had affected his ability to form words and thoughts correctly. He had said that when he was trying to rely the message to his wife that he needed to go to the doctor all that would come out of his mouth was, "Bad...think...doctor."
As the book mentions many people who are in a great deal of pain speak as though they have Broca's aphasia. My mother who suffers from chronic lower back pain at times when she is in the middle of crying out in pain and I ask her what is wrong she blurts out words that do not really make sense. I think it's fascinating in a way how that occurs...obviously not a good thing, but it is intriguing.
Every 45 minutes in America someone has a stroke...Here is a brief video to help you better understand how a stroke occurs.
Interesting post. I had a friend that had a stroke and he was affected in his speech. He did not know the name of a spoon. He would just say," it's that thing that you pick food up with and put it in your mouth." He stroke was caught pretty early and he was able to recover with some therapy. Now he is very normal. It is scary how the brain has to have everything balanced. We dont even think about how complicated the brain is until we learn by studying or by experience. Good post
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