Practice Quiz Human Communication

1.

Which of the following would not be considered to be an example of aphasia?

A.

Speech production difficulty after brain damage
B.

A stroke involving the left hemisphere impairs speech production
C.

Impaired language comprehension after years of excessive alcohol consumption
D.

Impaired language comprehension in a college sophomore after a single night of drinking during spring weekend
E.

B and C are correct

Correct Answer
D. Impaired language comprehension in a college sophomore after a single night of drinking during spring weekend

Explanation
Aphasia refers to a language disorder caused by brain damage, typically resulting in difficulties with speech production or language comprehension. In the given options, all except the last one can be considered examples of aphasia. Impaired language comprehension after years of excessive alcohol consumption can be considered a form of aphasia as it suggests long-term damage to the brain due to alcohol. However, impaired language comprehension in a college sophomore after a single night of drinking during spring weekend is not likely to be attributed to aphasia, as it is a temporary impairment caused by acute alcohol intoxication rather than brain damage.

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2.

The left hemisphere is better than the right hemisphere at

A.

Recognizing the emotional tone in a voice
B.

Analysis of events and object that occur at the same time
C.

Perceiving spatial relationships
D.

Production an analysis of speech
E.

All of the above are correct

Correct Answer
D. Production an analysis of speech

Explanation
The left hemisphere is responsible for language production and analysis, which includes speech production and analysis. This means that it is better at understanding and producing speech compared to the right hemisphere. Therefore, the statement "production and analysis of speech" is correct.

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3.

People with Broca's aphasia have difficulty

A.

Writing words on paper.
B.

Spelling simple words.
C.

Understanding speech.
D.

Producing speech.
E.

Recognizing the emotional content of speech.

Correct Answer
D. Producing speech.

Explanation
Broca's aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage to the frontal lobe of the brain. It affects a person's ability to produce speech, causing difficulty in forming and articulating words and sentences. Individuals with Broca's aphasia may have trouble finding the right words to express themselves and may speak with a limited vocabulary and slow, halting speech. This difficulty in producing speech is a characteristic symptom of Broca's aphasia.

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4.

People with Broca's aphasia would have most difficulty

A.

Spelling content words
B.

Saying function words
C.

Reading a map
D.

Recognizing complex geometrical forms
E.

Saying content words

Correct Answer
B. Saying function words

Explanation
People with Broca's aphasia would have most difficulty saying function words. Broca's aphasia is a type of language disorder that affects the ability to produce speech fluently. It is typically caused by damage to the frontal lobe of the brain. Function words are small words such as articles, prepositions, and conjunctions that are essential for constructing grammatically correct sentences but do not carry much meaning on their own. People with Broca's aphasia often struggle with producing these function words, resulting in telegraphic speech patterns with mainly content words.

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5.

Which of the following brain regions is involved in Broca's aphasia?

A.

Portion of the Planum temporale
B.

Left posterior cerebral cortex
C.

The arcuate fasciculus
D.

Inferior right frontal lobe
E.

Inferior left frontal lobe

Correct Answer
E. Inferior left frontal lobe

Explanation
The correct answer is the inferior left frontal lobe. Broca's aphasia is a language disorder that affects the ability to produce speech. It is typically caused by damage to the inferior left frontal lobe, specifically Broca's area, which is located in the posterior part of the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere of the brain. This region is responsible for the coordination of the muscles involved in speech production. Damage to this area can result in difficulty speaking fluently and forming grammatically correct sentences.

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6.

Which of the following speech deficits are a common feature of all forms of aphasia?

A.

Agrammatism
B.

Articulation difficulties
C.

Dysgraphia
D.

Anomia
E.

All but C are correct

Correct Answer
D. Anomia

Explanation
Anomia is a common feature of all forms of aphasia. Anomia refers to the difficulty in finding or recalling words, which is a characteristic symptom of aphasia. Agrammatism refers to the difficulty in using proper grammar and sentence structure, and articulation difficulties refer to problems with pronouncing words. Dysgraphia is a specific difficulty with writing. Therefore, the correct answer is anomia, as it is the only option that is a common feature of all forms of aphasia.

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7.

A primary characteristic of Wernicke's aphasia is

A.

Effortless production of meaningless speech
B.

Fumbling for the right word
C.

Labored and nonfluent speech
D.

Speech that lacks rhythm and tone
E.

Mutism

Correct Answer
A. Effortless production of meaningless speech

Explanation
Wernicke's aphasia is characterized by effortless production of meaningless speech. This means that individuals with this condition are able to speak fluently, but the words they use may not make sense or be coherent. This is due to damage in the Wernicke's area of the brain, which is responsible for language comprehension. As a result, individuals with Wernicke's aphasia may have difficulty understanding others and may produce speech that is jumbled or nonsensical.

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8.

Wernicke's aphasia is caused by damage to

A.

The frontal association cortex of the right hemisphere
B.

Broca's area and the caudate nucleus
C.

The superior temporal gyrus of the left hemisphere
D.

The inferior occipital gyrus of the right hemisphere
E.

The left parietal lobe

Correct Answer
C. The superior temporal gyrus of the left hemisphere

Explanation
Wernicke's aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person's ability to comprehend and produce meaningful speech. It is caused by damage to the superior temporal gyrus of the left hemisphere of the brain. This area is responsible for processing and understanding language. When this region is damaged, individuals may have difficulty understanding spoken or written language and may also have trouble finding the right words to express their thoughts. This explains why the correct answer is the superior temporal gyrus of the left hemisphere.

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9.

A person with pure alexia can write but not read.

A.

True
B.

False

Correct Answer
A. True

Explanation
Pure alexia, also known as word blindness, is a rare neurological disorder where an individual loses the ability to read, despite having intact vision and language skills. However, they can still write without difficulty. This is because pure alexia specifically affects the visual processing of written words, making it difficult for the person to recognize and comprehend them. Therefore, the statement that a person with pure alexia can write but not read is true.

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10.

Prosody in speech appears to be primarily a left hemisphere function.

A.

True
B.

False

Correct Answer
B. False

Explanation
The given statement is false. Prosody, which refers to the rhythm, intonation, and stress patterns in speech, is not solely a left hemisphere function. It involves the coordination of various brain regions, including both the left and right hemispheres. Research has shown that both hemispheres contribute to prosodic processing, with the left hemisphere being more involved in the processing of linguistic aspects, while the right hemisphere plays a role in the emotional and melodic aspects of prosody. Therefore, the statement that prosody in speech appears to be primarily a left hemisphere function is incorrect.

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11.

Speech is lateralized in the right hemisphere in the majority of left-handed people.

A.

True
B.

False

Correct Answer
B. False

Explanation
The given statement is false. Speech is typically lateralized in the left hemisphere of the brain, regardless of whether a person is left-handed or right-handed. This means that the majority of left-handed people, just like right-handed people, have their speech functions primarily located in the left hemisphere of their brain.

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