New research by a Rice University psychologist clearly identifies the parts of the brain involved in the process of choosing appropriate words during speech.
The study, published in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help researchers better understand the speech problems that stroke patients experience.
When speaking, a person must select one word from a competing set of words. For example, if the speaker wants to mention a specific animal, he has to single out “dog” from “cat,” “horse” and other possibilities. If he wants to describe someone’s temperament, he has to choose whether “happy,” “sad,” “ecstatic” or some other adjective is more appropriate.
Tatiana Schnur, assistant professor of psychology at Rice, wanted to determine whether one particular part of the brain, the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG), is necessary for resolving the competition for choosing the correct word.
She and her colleagues compared brain images from 16 healthy volunteers and 12 volunteers who suffer from aphas…
Read more Brain chooses right words during speech