Broca area is the language production region in the inferior frontal gyrus of the dominant hemisphere, made up of the pars opercularis and pars triangularis (Brodmann areas 44 and 45). It was described by Paul Broca in 1861 in a patient who could say only one syllable. It lies just in front of the face area of the motor cortex.
| Location | Posterior inferior frontal gyrus of the dominant (usually left) hemisphere |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Connections |
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| Blood Supply | Middle cerebral artery (superior division) |
Plans and produces spoken and written language, including grammar and the motor programmes for speech.
Damage typically causes Broca (non-fluent, expressive) aphasia: speech is slow, effortful and telegraphic with missing grammatical words, but comprehension is relatively good and patients are often aware and frustrated. It often occurs with right arm and face weakness from superior division middle cerebral artery stroke. Surgeons map it with stimulation before removing nearby tumours.
Non-fluent, effortful speech with relatively preserved comprehension and poor repetition.
Difficulty planning speech movements, often accompanying Broca aphasia.
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