ABSTRACT
For many years, researchers have been fascinated by cases of aphasia in which brain damage leads to the loss of one or many language abilities. Broca initially discussed the importance of the third frontal convolution in articulated speech. Wernicke followed by discussing the importance of the Superior Temporal Gyrus in processing receptive language. This model was further refined later as the Wernicke-Lichtheim model which has served as the basis of aphasia research from the early 20th century until the present (for a review see Cepanec & Judas, 2007; Graves, 1997; Head, 1926; Weems & Reggia, 2006). In brief, this model posited that language was in its essence a sensorimotor function. In this view, syndromes of aphasia could be described as consisting of damage to these sensory or motor centers or to the pathways that connected them. This model of language processing has come to form the default model for all research on the neural bases of language in adults and across development. In the current piece, we will begin by reviewing the current views on the neural substrates of language before proceeding to uncover the factors that modulate neural activity across the lifespan.
