Wernicke's Area (Noun)
Meaning
The auditory word center; located in the posterior part of the superior temporal convolution in most people.
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- Wernicke's area is a region of the brain that is critical for understanding spoken language and is typically located in the posterior part of the superior temporal convolution.
- Damage to Wernicke's area can result in a type of aphasia characterized by difficulty understanding spoken language and speaking in long, rambling sentences.
- Wernicke's area is usually located in the left hemisphere of the brain, but in some individuals it can be found in the right hemisphere or be bilateral.
- Studies have shown that Wernicke's area is active when individuals are listening to and understanding spoken language, and is also active when individuals are speaking.
- Lesions to Wernicke's area can result in a range of language deficits, including difficulty with word retrieval, syntax, and comprehension.