The Language Neuroscience Podcast Broca and Wernicke are dead, with Pascale Tremblay
Jun 8, 2021
Pascale Tremblay, a Professor at Université Laval and co-founder of the Society for the Neurobiology of Language, dives deep into innovative language neuroscience. She critiques the outdated Broca and Wernicke model, advocating for a richer understanding of language connectivity in the brain. The discussion includes the evolution of the Society and its impact on bridging disciplines, along with the complexities of brain tracts such as the arcuate and uncinate. Tremblay emphasizes the need for precise language in neuroscience to improve public understanding.
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Origin Story Of The Society
- Pascale Tremblay and Steve Small started the Society for the Neurobiology of Language from a lab meeting decision to 'just do it.'
- The first meeting unexpectedly drew ~300 people and forced overflow arrangements, showing huge community demand.
Classic Model Is Too Simplistic
- Tremblay and Anthony Dick argued the 'classic model' of Broca–Wernicke–arcuate is overly simplistic and imprecisely used.
- They urged precision in terminology to avoid misleading simplicity in textbooks and public perception.
Wernicke's Area Lacks Consensus
- Tremblay's 2015 survey showed broad disagreement about what 'Wernicke's area' anatomically means.
- She concluded that vague eponyms should be dropped or always explicitly redefined in studies.