Question

A 65-year-old lady presents with a vascular injury to the inferior frontal gyrus. Which functional area would mostly be affected

• A. Visual
• B. Auditoryss
• C. Wernicke
• D. Motor speech

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

This 65-year-old lady has suffered a vascular injury in the inferior frontal gyrus, a region of the brain that plays a critical role in motor coordination related to speech production. In the context of brain anatomy, the inferior frontal gyrus is prominently involved in Broca's area, located typically in the dominant hemisphere (usually the left hemisphere for right-handed individuals), which is responsible for motor speech functions. This means that when there is damage to the inferior frontal gyrus, the most likely affected functional area would be motor speech.
Here is a breakdown of why "Motor speech" is the correct answer:

• Location: The inferior frontal gyrus is part of the frontal lobe, specifically the left frontal lobe in most individuals, and encompasses Broca's area.
• Function: Broca's area is essential for speech production, language processing, and language comprehension.
• Pathophysiology: A vascular injury in this region can impair a person's ability to speak, form sentences, and can lead to Broca's aphasia, characterized by broken speech and difficulty in speech production.

This anatomical and functional understanding identifies "Motor speech" as the most impacted area from a vascular injury in the inferior frontal gyrus.