Mapping the brain for words

 

imgresWow!  Another fascinating article that appealed to my inner neuroscience geek.  Scientists have now mapped where specific words are stored in the brain.  “Our goal was to build a giant atlas that shows how one specific aspect of language is represented in the brain, in this case semantics, or the meanings of words,” said Jack Gallant, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Berkeley.  Not only does the linked article describe the study, but it contains a well-narrated video that summarizes what they found.  Check it out:  https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/apr/27/brain-atlas-showing-how-words-are-organised-neuroscience

Put aside for a moment the worry of Big Brother monitoring your thoughts.  Focus on the impact this could have on understanding how we retrieve words.  When we teach strategies for word finding, we are teaching the kids to activate the parts of their brains that store their words.  It will be fascinating to see how this research may be applied to those who struggle to retrieve words.

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