What is Wernicke's area?
Q: What is Wernicke's area?
A: Wernicke's area is an area of the brain located in Brodmann area 22, in the dominant cerebral hemisphere. It is one of two parts of the cerebral cortex linked to speech (the other being Broca's area). It is involved in the production and comprehension of written and spoken language.
Q: How was Wernicke's area discovered?
A: Wernicke's area was discovered by autopsies of patients who had speech difficulties. Carl Wernicke, a German neurologist, had a patient who could speak quite well but was unable to understand the speech of others. After this patient passed away, it was found that there was damage to an area at the upper portion of the temporal lobe just behind the auditory cortex which led to its discovery.
Q: What type of aphasia does this part of the brain cause?
A: Damage to Wernicke's area can lead to what is known as "Wernicke's aphasia" or "receptive aphasia". This type of aphasia causes people difficulty understanding language and responding with sentences that are grammatical but make little sense - often referred to as "word salad".
Q: Does this part of the brain only affect speech comprehension?
A: No, damage to Wernicke's Area can also lead to difficulty naming things - often responding with words that sound similar or related names instead.
Q: Where are Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas located relative to each other?
A: Despite being located in different lobes, Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas are quite close together. They are connected by nerves called arcuate fascilicus as well as another recently discovered tract.
Q: In what percentage of right-handed individuals is their dominant hemisphere on their left side?
A: In about 95% percent right-handed individuals, their dominant hemisphere will be on their left side. For left-handed individuals it would be around 60%.
