Re-establishing Broca¡¯s initial findings

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• 作者：Jessica D. Richardson^a ; ^{j.d.richardson@sc.edu} ; Paul Fillmore^a ; Chris Rorden^b ; Leonard L. LaPointe^c ; Julius Fridriksson^a
• 关键词：Aphasia ; Apraxia ; Cerebral blood flow ; Broca ; Insula ; Lesion ; MRI ; PASL ; Perfusion ; Pre-frontal cortex
• 刊名：Brain and Language
• 出版年：2012
• 出版时间：November, 2012
• 年：2012
• 卷：123
• 期：2
• 页码：125-130
• 全文大小：734 K

文摘

The importance of the left inferior pre-frontal cortex (LIPC) for speech production was first popularized by Paul Broca, providing a cornerstone of behavioral neurology and laying the foundation for future research examining brain-behavior relationships. Although Broca¡¯s findings were rigorously challenged, comprehensive contradictory evidence was not published until 130 years later. This evidence suggested that damage to left anterior insula was actually the best predictor of motor speech impairment. Using high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with chronic stroke, we reveal that LIPC involvement more accurately predicts acquired motor speech impairment than insula damage. Perfusion-weighted MRI provides complementary evidence, highlighting how damage to left inferior pre-frontal gyrus often includes insula involvement, and vice versa. Our findings suggest that Broca¡¯s initial conclusions associating acquired motor speech impairment with LIPC damage remain valid nearly 150 years after his initial report on this issue.