Conversations we have with spoken words through articulation, sounds of words in strings of ideas that evoke comprehension,  occurs when we have understanding. Sound from a speaker registers in the Auditory Cortex and is distributed to areas of the brain concerned with natural processes of decoding words, along with other areas associated such as emotion, tone, and rhythm.

Face to Face conversations involve more than just decoding words – tones and body language as there are other parts for understanding.  There are structures of word streams analyzed, and meaning attached to the words extracted as articulation. Speech is naturally decoded in Wernicke’s areas in the Left Hemisphere of the brain. Then the Anterior Temporal Lobe and Inferior Frontal Cortex in both Hemispheres extracts the meaning of your words.

The Executive Functioning Cortex of the brain turns sounds of speech into a stream of meaning which requires more than just decoding . They have to be associated and retrieved memories, words meaning from experience to give full comprehension and meaning.

The emotional tone is dependent on the Amygdala and the context of the speech subsequently produced,  and there must be appropriate emotional reactions. 

The listener highlights areas of the brain involved in listening. Zero in timing as it represents the time which words are spoken, received,  and measured in milliseconds for comprehension after which the brain takes to comprehend the meaning fully. It is considered “Conscious Comprehension.”

The speed process starts a second before words are actually uttered. This is when the brain starts to select words that are to convey words, ideas, tones, and sounds that are trying to say something. The words are turned into sound and are articulated by sound, tone and muscles areas. This is a complicated activity and is in specific language areas and associated areas of the brain.

In a minority of people these registered sounds go to the right side Hemisphere or can spread between both Left and Right Hemispheres. Right Hemispheres dominate, and are more prevalent amongst left handed.

Crucial Pathways transmit Broca’s  areas via a bundle of nerve fibers called the Arcuate Fasciculus that are much thicker and are better developed in some humans than others, and some species,  and are thought to be in the development and comprehension language. Phonology after words have been retrieved from memory with associated meanings, and these words are matched to Broca areas and Sounds in Wernicke’s areas which are adjacent to the Auditory Cortex,  and matured systems when sounds are distinguished in meaning.

Phonology to syllables Broca’s areas in the part of the brain closely associated with speech,  matches the sounds of words to the mouth, the tongue, and throat muscle movement required to actually voice them. Articulation from the mouth, tongue and throat movements in articulated selected words,  are directed by part of the Motor Cortex,  that controls these parts of the body.

Concepts to Words are attached to memory and ideas and experiences as “handles” by which the brain can grasp the correct ones to express an idea. The matching of words to conceptual ideas happens in the Temporal Lobe. This Frontal Temporal Area is a very important area of the brain. Concepts to words are attached to memory and all parts of the brain and muscle movement of the Temporal Cortex. It is Crucial that brain areas are activated immediately before speaking. The stage before speaking are indicated by negative Values.

The Cerebellum in orchestrating timing of speech Production in the Right Cerebellum Hemisphere shows the greatest activation during speech,  where as the Left part of the Cerebellum is more active in singing.

Speech and comprehension problems can result from strokes which damage the language areas. If speech functions shift to the opposite hemisphere this is less likely to be successful, but undamaged areas can still take on functions of adapting to new pathways from plasticity.

We can see that experience from Joni Mitchell who has suffered a stroke but is re-cooping nicely.

Carolyn d Hogarth April 5th of 2023.