Semin Neurol 2002; 22(4): 335-348
DOI: 10.1055/s-2002-36755
Copyright © 2002 by Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA. Tel.: +1(212) 584-4662

Finding Language in the Matter of the Brain: Origins of the Clinical Aphasia Examination

Heidi L. Roth
  • Assistant Professor of Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Neurology Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
22 January 2003 (online)

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ABSTRACT

The origins of the aphasia examination can be traced back to the 19th century when physicians and scientists began to understand how higher mental functions such as language could be localized in the brain. Paul Broca, Carl Wernicke, and Hughlings Jackson developed different models of brain function, and each contributed important insights to the study of aphasia. Broca's contributions were influenced by the fundamental question of whether higher mental function could be localized in the brain at all; Wernicke's contributions were influenced by an attempt to unite more mechanistic and physiological principles to a model of higher brain functions; and Jackson's contributions were influenced by British association psychology. In addition to reviewing the origins of the aphasia examination, this article reviews the historical context in which these contributors worked, the factors that affected the reception of their views, and the manner in which their views have affected the aphasia examination and understanding of aphasia today.