Organ
Broca's area
Frontal language region within a wider network
High-yield
Broca aphasia is typically nonfluent and effortful, with reduced grammatical structure and relatively better comprehension. The clinical syndrome does not map perfectly to damage confined to Broca’s area.
Overview
Broca’s area conventionally includes the pars opercularis and pars triangularis of the language-dominant inferior frontal gyrus. It contributes to speech and language processing through connections with frontal, temporal and parietal regions rather than acting as an isolated speech generator.
Reference facts
- Location
- Posterior inferior frontal gyrus of the language-dominant hemisphere, usually the left
- Parts
- Pars opercularis, approximately Brodmann area 44, and pars triangularis, approximately area 45
- Blood supply
- Usually the superior division of the middle cerebral artery
- Relations
- Anterior to lower precentral motor regions and superficial to the anterior insula; language connections include the arcuate fasciculus and additional pathways
- Function
- Contributes to organizing speech, sequencing language and grammatical processing within a distributed network
Clinical correlation
A superior-division middle cerebral artery infarct in the dominant hemisphere can cause nonfluent aphasia together with contralateral face and arm weakness. The pattern and persistence depend on how much of the language and motor network is injured.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the broca's area located?
Posterior inferior frontal gyrus of the language-dominant hemisphere, usually the left.
What does the broca's area do?
Contributes to organizing speech, sequencing language and grammatical processing within a distributed network.
What are the parts of the broca's area?
The parts of the broca's area are the pars opercularis, approximately Brodmann area 44, and pars triangularis, approximately area 45.
What is the blood supply of the broca's area?
Usually the superior division of the middle cerebral artery.