Question

Which area of cerebral cortex is responsible for the interpretation of speech?
A. Brocca’s area
B. Wernicke’s area
C. Premotor area
D. Association area of sensory cortex

Answer 1

The region on the left hand side of the brain that is generally present in the temporal lobe is mainly responsible for the speech comprehension or interpretation.

Complete answer:
Brocca area, also known as Brocca's convolution, brain area which contains neurons that function in the generation of speech. This region is situated in the front section of the left brain.

The region of Wernicke is the brain region that is essential for the interpretation or comprehension of speech. It stands on the left side of the brain in the temporal lobe and is responsible for understanding language, whereas Brocca's area is connected to speech development. Owing to affected brain areas of Wernicke, language production and/or use may be severely impaired. If this region of the brain is affected, it may lead to a condition known as Wernicke aphasia that causes the individual to talk in phrases that are fluent but of little significance as it does not make any sense.

The premotor cortex is situated just in front of the brain's main motor cortex. Its role is to prepare the muscles of the body for the exact movements. In other words, this aids in regulation of movements.

Association areas of the sensory cortex are the sections of the cerebral cortex that obtain feedback from various areas; the interaction areas incorporate incoming sensory information and also form networks between sensory and motor areas.

Thus, the option (B) is the correct choice.

Note: Wernicke 's area, also called Wernicke 's speech area, is one of the two areas of the cerebral cortex connected to speech, the other being Brocca 's area. It plays a crucial role in the interpretation of written and spoken language, as opposed to that of Brocca, which is involved in the generation of speech.