Question

In 1861, Paul Broca studied a stroke patient he called "Tan." He was called this because as a result of brain damage it was the only word he could pronounce. Based on Broca's early work, which of the following brain regions is involved in speech production?

a. angular gyrus
b. left temporal lobe
c. sensory cortex
d. left frontal lobe
e. auditory cortex

Answer 1

The brain region involved in speech production, identified through Paul Broca's early work with a patient called "Tan," is the Broca's area, located in the left frontal lobe.

Step-by-step explanation:

Paul Broca's early work focused on a stroke patient he referred to as "Tan", who could only pronounce this one syllable due to brain damage. The question asks about the brain region involved in speech production that Broca identified through his study of this patient.

Considering the options provided and based on the detailed information, the answer is the Broca's area, which is located in the left frontal lobe of the brain. This area is responsible for the motor commands necessary for speech production and is typically found in the cerebral hemisphere responsible for language production, which is the left side for about 95% of the population.

Answer 2

Based on the early work of Paul Broca, the brain region involved in speech production is Broca's area, located in the left frontal lobe. This area is responsible for generating the motor commands needed for articulate speech, and damage to it can result in expressive aphasia. Option d is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

In 1861, French physician Pierre Paul Broca studied a stroke patient named “Tan,” whose real name was Louis Victor Leborgne. This patient had suffered brain damage that left him able to pronounce only the syllable “tan.” After Leborgne's death, Broca examined his brain and found abnormalities in the left frontal lobe. Through this and subsequent research, Broca's area was identified as the region of the brain involved in speech production.

Broca's area is responsible for the motor commands necessary for speech and is located in the frontal lobe of the dominant cerebral hemisphere—which for most people is the left side. Damage to Broca's area results in expressive aphasia, a condition characterized by difficulty in producing language. Patients with damage to this area may have speech that is broken or halting, and they may struggle with grammar. This contrasts with Wernicke's area, which is associated with the comprehension of language. In the given options, the correct answer that identifies the brain region involved in speech production, based on Broca's discoveries, is d. left frontal lobe.