Elzbieta Szelag

Neuropsychology of Language in Norm and Pathology

the proposal for 20 hours of lectures (4 blocks of 5 hours each ) at the Vivian Smith International Summer Institute 

1.The neural basis of language – clinical evidence: cerebral organisation and language functions, language representation in the brain, Wada test, electrical stimulation, commissurotomy, behavioural studies on brain damaged patients, acquired aphasia, functional neuroimaging studies, classification epidemiology and characteristic of language disorders in children and adults, on the origin of speech and language.

2.Functional hemispheric asymmetry – experimental evidence: the anatomy of cerebral lateralization, developmental aspects of hemispheric asymmetry, hemispheric asymmetry in older age, right hemisphere contribution to language, handedness and hemispheric lateralization, sex differences in laterality of language functions. Brain lateralization and language representation in exceptional circumstances – in deaf, stuttering, infantile autism, psychiatric illness.

3.Temporal aspects of information processing and language – on neural mechanisms underlying hemispheric asymmetry: a hierarchical model of temporal perception, temporal processing units (temporal windows) – simultaneity vs. nonsimultaneity, temporal resolution, temporal order, sequencing, temporal integration, subjective present, feeling of “now’, temporal continuity. Speech as a temporal signal: temporal pattering in the spontaneous speech, phoneme discrimination and phonemic hearing, temporal pattering in the spontaneous fluent speech. Motor control of language: temporal control of repetitive movements and articulatory timing. Consciousness control.

4.Time perception in language impaired population: impairment of non-verbal perception on different temporal levels (temporal ‘windows’) in various aphasia syndromes, infantile autism - a temporal neglect? temporal processing deficits in children with Language Learning-Impairment (developmental dysphasia). Temporal training program for different king of speech disorders – new perspectives for speech-therapy.

Bibliography

1.Basic Mechanisms in Cognition and Language. Eds.: C. V. Euler, J. Lundberg and R. Llinas, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam 1998, 288 p. 

2.The Signs of Language Revisited. Eds.: K. Emmorey and H. Lane, Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, 2000, 580 p.

3.Cognitive Neuroscience. Ed.: M. S. Gazzaniga. Blackwell Publishers Ltd, Oxford, 2000, 518 p.

4.T. A. Harley. The Psychology of Language: From Data to Theory. Psychology Press, Hove, 1996, 482 p.

5.Language Development in Exceptional Circumstances. Eds.: D. Bishop, K. Mogford, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hove, 1994, 313 p.

6.Neuropsychology. Eds.: G. Goldstein, P. D. Nussbaum, S. R. Beers, Plenum Press, New York 1998, 497 p. 

7.D. Kimura. Sex and Cognition. MIT Press, Cambridge 1999, 217 p.

8.Timing of Behavior. Eds.: D. Rosenbaum, C. E. Collyer, MIT Press, Cambridge, 1998, 384 p.

9.The Neurobiology of Autism. Eds.: M. L. Bauman, T. L. Kemper, JohnHopkinsUniversity Press, Baltimore, 1997, 257 p.

10.M. W. Eysenck, M. T. Keane. Cognitive Psychology: A student’s handbook. Psychology Press, Hove, 1996, 542 p.

11.Linguistic Disorders and Pathologies: An international handbook. Eds.: G. Blanken, J. Dittmann, H. Grimm, J. Marshall, C.W. Wallesch, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 1993, 962 p.

12.J. B. Hellige. Hemispheric Asymmetry: What’s Right and What’s Left. HarvardUniversity Press, Cambridge 1993, 396 p.