i wonder how a stroke effects speakers of mandrin, and other tonal languages.

when stroke victims have damage to broca's area, their speech is effected, but many times they can still sing, and therapy to recover speach uses this intact ability to keep the tongue and other muscles moving.. they sometimes find they can summon up bits of songs, melodies and words, and begin a rudimentary system of communication.

but since tonal languages have a more intrigrated use of the right and left halves of the brain, i wonder if they have more cross connections with singing and speach than speakers of non tonal languages?

what say any of the resident doctors/neurologist? or is the an area of brain patterns that has yet to be explored?


my other obsession