Neurocerebral fundamentals

Abstract

The chapter is devoted to the description of neurocerebral foundations of language. On the basis of a methodological apparatus that led to the classical Wernicke-Geschwind model, it discusses the research of the last century which led to a complete review of neurocerebral language mapping. In particular, it discusses the reorganization of strong modularism and it deepens the idea of a double network of language in which the components of the neocortex and those of the internal brain continuously interact. The most important part is dedicated to the new theories of Broca’s area, to which both neuroscientists of the Chomskyan area (Grodzinsky) and scholars of evolutionary approach contributed. The latter approach derives a new biolinguistics hypothesis based on Broca’s area, which is considered a new multifunctional processor managing and allowing unified integration of different sensory modalities that are all connected with language.