Science Café: “The Brain and Language Disorders”

Brasserie Le Dôme, 2 Avenue Georges Clémenceau in Montpellier.

Being linguistically gifted implies the ability to understand someone and respond to them, since linguistic ability encompasses both comprehension and expression.
When it comes to spoken language, this involves the ability to translate sound into meaning, to move from thoughts to spoken words, and from thought to voice. While these processes are interdependent on learning, society, and culture, they also engage different regions of the brain.

Some language disorders may be caused by abnormalities in the brain that develop during fetal development. In such cases, cognitive development is impaired, and learning disabilities may arise. Language disorders can also develop at any age—following a head injury, a stroke, or as part of a neurodegenerative disease.

To discuss this topic at the intersection of science and society, two multidisciplinary experts will answer questions from the audience live:

• Sylvie Moritz-Gasser, Ph.D. in neuroscience, researcher at the Institute of Functional Genomics (IGF), associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine (University of Montpellier), academic director of the University Department of Speech-Language Pathology in Montpellier, and speech-language pathologist in the departments of neurology and neurosurgery at Montpellier University Hospital.
• Aleksandra Nowakowska, Associate Professor of Linguistics at the Praxiling Laboratory, CNRS – Paul Valéry University of Montpellier, and Principal Investigator of the ERDF-ESF project “Aphasia and Discourse Analysis in Interaction: Database Development and New Methods of Analysis” (AADI).

Sign language interpretation for this event is provided by Des’L Interprétation.
(free admission, subject to availability).

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