Neurolinguistics is the science concerned with the human brain mechanisms underlying the comprehension, production, and abstract knowledge of language, be it spoken, signed, or written. One might be looking for the academic discipline of communications. ... A sign language (also signed language) is a language which uses manual communication instead of sound to convey meaning - simultaneously combining handshapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speakers thoughts. ... See also Creative writing. ...

By its nature an interdisciplinary endeavor, this field straddles the borders between linguistics, neurobiology, and computer science, among others. Researchers are drawn to it from a variety of backgrounds, bringing along a variety of experimental techniques as well as widely differing theoretical perspectives. Linguistics is the scientific study of human language, and someone who engages in this study is called a linguist. ... Neuroscience is a field of study which deals with the structure, function, development, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology and pathology of the nervous system. ...   Computer science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ...

Historically, the term neurolinguistics has been most closely associated with aphasiology, the study of linguistics deficits, and spared abilities, resulting from specific forms of brain damage. This field is considered in a separate article. Aphasiology is the study of linguistics problems resulting from brain damage. ...

Although aphasiology is the historical core of neurolinguistics, in recent years the field has broadened considerably, as new technologies have been brought to bear on the matter. Language is a fundamental topic of interest in cognitive neuroscience, and modern brain imaging techniques have contributed greatly to a growing understanding of the anatomical organization of language functions. Such techniques include PET and fMRI, which provide high spatial resolution images of energy use in various brain regions during language processing tasks. To date, the results of these techniques have not contradicted the existing results from aphasiology. Unfortunately, these techniques do not allow for high temporal resolution of brain activity as the comprehension or production of sentences unfolds. As temporal resolution is of utmost importance in these questions, researchers also employ the gross electrophysiological techniques EEG and MEG. These provide millisecond-level resolution, but the nature of the brain mechanisms that generate the electrical signals on the scalp is not known, making them difficult to interpret. As a result, EEG and MEG are used mainly to inform theories of the cognitive/computational architecture of language, without regard to their precise neurobiological implementation. For example, one might suspect that out of three categories of words that could end a sentence, two are actually tapping into the same mechanism but the third is represented differently. Showing that these two categories elicit an identical electrophysiological response different from that of the third would support such a hypothesis. An example of an important topic in Neurolinguistics is the N400 - effect. The field of Cognitive neuroscience concerns the study of the neural mechanisms underlying cognition and is a branch of biological psychology which, in turn, is part of the wider field of neuroscience, the most comprehensive interdisciplinary discipline studying the brain . ... Image of a typical positron emission tomography (PET) facility Positron emission tomography (PET) is a nuclear medicine medical imaging technique which produces a three dimensional image or map of functional processes in the body. ... Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (or fMRI) describes the use of MRI to measure hemodynamic signals related to neural activity in the brain or spinal cord of humans or other animals. ... Electroencephalography is the neurophysiologic measurement of the electrical activity of the brain by recording from electrodes placed on the scalp or, in special cases, on the cortex. ... Meg is the movie adaptation of the Steve Alten novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror. ... The N400 is an Event-Related Potential component typically elicited by unexpected linguistic stimuli. ...

Among newer non-invasive techniques to study the workings of the brain, including how language works, transcranial magnetic stimulation is also worthy of mention. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is the use of powerful rapidly changing magnetic fields to induce electric fields in the brain by electromagnetic induction without the need for surgery or external electrodes. ...

Closely related to such research is the field of psycholinguistics, which seeks to elucidate the cognitive mechanisms of language by employing the traditional techniques of experimental psychology, including analyses of such indicators as reaction time, error rates, and eye movements. Psycholinguistics or psychology of language is the study of the psychological and neurobiological factors that enable humans to acquire, use, and understand language. ... Experimental psychology is an approach to psychology that treats it as one of the natural sciences, and therefore assumes that it is susceptible to the experimental method. ...

One other important methodology in the cognitive neuroscience of language is computational modeling, which can demonstrate the (im)plausibility of specific hypotheses about the neural organization of language while generating novel predictions for further empirical research. Currently, computational modelers are collaborating increasingly with brain imagers and psychologists in coordinated, interdisciplinary programs of research. Such programs have yielded important new insights into the nature of language, as well as major language disorders that affect millions, such as stuttering and dyslexia. Stuttering (known as stammering in the UK and scientifically known as dysphemia) is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by prolongations, repetitions, and blocks of sounds, syllables, words or phrases. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

External links

Relevant journals are Journal of Neurolinguistics and Brain and Language. Both are subscription access journals, though some abstracts may be generally available. A relevant website is Linguistics Forum, where a whole section is dedicated to neurolinguistics.

Note: Neurolinguistics is unrelated to neuro-linguistic programming Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a set of techniques or rituals and beliefs that adherents use primarily as an approach to psychotherapy, healing, communication and personal development. ...