Choosing words: left hemisphere, right hemisphere, or both? Perspective on the lateralization of word retrieval

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Stéphanie K RièsRobert T Knight

Abstract

Language is considered to be one of the most lateralized human brain functions. Left hemisphere dominance for language has been consistently confirmed in clinical and experimental settings and constitutes one of the main axioms of neurology and neuroscience. However, functional neuroimaging studies are finding that the right hemisphere also plays a role in diverse language functions. Critically, the right hemisphere may also compensate for the loss or degradation of language functions following extensive stroke-induced damage to the left hemisphere. Here, we review studies that focus on our ability to choose words as we speak. Although fluidly performed in individuals with intact language, this process is routinely compromised in aphasic patients. We suggest that parceling word retrieval into its subprocesses-lexical activation and lexical selection-and examining which of these can be compensated for after left hemisphere stroke can advance the understanding of the lateralization of word retrieval in speech production. In particular, the domain-general nature of the brain regions associated with each process may be a helpful indicator of the right hemisphere's propensity for compensation.

References

Jan 1, 1975·Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry·K M HeilmanR T Watson
Dec 1, 1989·Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior·A BassoM Mariotti
Jan 1, 1972·Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten·J Czopf
Jan 1, 1972·Brain : a Journal of Neurology·E De RenziH Spinnler
Jul 1, 1972·Neuropsychologia·L Swisher, I J Hirsh
Oct 1, 1971·Archives of Neurology·M Kinsbourne
Oct 1, 1971·Journal of Experimental Psychology·D E Meyer, R W Schvaneveldt
Sep 1, 1971·Neuropsychologia·M S Gazzaniga, S A Hillyard
Dec 1, 1969·Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior·P FaglioniL A Vignolo
Aug 1, 1970·The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America·M Studdert-Kennedy, D Shankweiler
Jul 12, 1968·Science·N Geschwind, W Levitsky
Dec 1, 1983·Brain : a Journal of Neurology·V W Henderson
Jun 1, 1995·Annals of Neurology·C WeillerH C Diener
Jun 1, 1993·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·G McCarthyR G Shulman
Jan 23, 1996·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·A L FoundasK M Heilman
Feb 6, 1996·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·R L BucknerS E Petersen
Feb 1, 1996·Brain : a Journal of Neurology·E WarburtonR S Frackowiak
Jul 1, 1996·Archives of Neurology·M S GeorgeR M Post
Mar 1, 1997·Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior·D BoatmanB Gordon
Feb 7, 1998·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·S L Thompson-SchillM J Farah
Apr 8, 1998·Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS·B J ZelkowiczJ T Becker
Jul 21, 1998·Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior·G I de ZubicarayD M Doddrell
Dec 23, 1998·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·S L Thompson-SchillR T Knight
Sep 3, 1999·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·S MurthaA Evans
Nov 5, 1999·Stroke; a Journal of Cerebral Circulation·Y CaoK M Welch
May 16, 2000·Brain Research. Cognitive Brain Research·T W BuchananL Jäncke
Aug 15, 2000·Psychological Review·B Rapp, M Goldrick
Dec 2, 2000·Brain : a Journal of Neurology·S K ScottR J Wise
Apr 17, 2001·The Behavioral and Brain Sciences·W J LeveltA S Meyer
Aug 3, 2001·Cognition·M F DamianW J Levelt
Nov 8, 2001·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·W J Levelt
Apr 24, 2002·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Burkhard MaessWillem J M Levelt
Nov 16, 2002·Brain Research. Cognitive Brain Research·Ardi Roelofs, Peter Hagoort
Nov 29, 2002·Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience·Sharon L Thompson-SchillDiane Swick

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Apr 3, 2019·Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience·Royce AndersF-Xavier Alario
Feb 8, 2018·Journal of Neuropsychology·Qi ChenDaniel Mirman
Dec 24, 2019·Human Brain Mapping·Mihai Dricu, Sascha Frühholz
Apr 18, 2020·Frontiers in Neurology·Tobias BalkenholJérôme J Servais
Nov 4, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Reem M AlwhaibiHager R Elserougy
Nov 14, 2020·Epilepsy & Behavior : E&B·Agnès TrébuchonF-Xavier Alario
Jun 2, 2020·Neurosurgery Clinics of North America·Gonzalo AlarconAntonio Valentin
May 23, 2021·The Cerebellum·Yi-Shin Sheu, John E Desmond
Aug 28, 2021·Brain Sciences·Kaisa M Hartikainen

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Acute Stroke

A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted depriving the brain of oxygen and nutrients. This feed focuses cerebrovascular accidents including ischemic and paralytic stroke.