Brain, language and therapy

We would like to thank all the contributors to our special issue “brain, language and therapy”. In this issue, we want to update some principles of neural representation of language and the modifications of communication skills in brain and mental pathology.

Language is central to many cognitive domains such as pedagogy, linguistics, pragmatics, neurosciences, and social cognition. This multi-domain aspect is reflected in the current models of language processing.

Recently cognitive neurosciences have unraveled some brain mechanisms in this domain, and actualised some classical language approaches.

We start first with a historical approach, in order to assess the continuity of the concepts that contribute to our knowledge of the speaking brain (M. Krestel: Language and brain, page 262).

One other interesting question that is tackled in this issue is how non-linguistic processes are involved in language. Particularly, we wanted to focus on how the brain deals with two languages—a classical Swiss situation ... (M. Mouthon, J. M. Annoni, A. Khateb, the bilingual brain, page 266).

The interdisciplinary approach is important for our journal, so in F. M. Reischies article («Psychopathologische Symptome als Zeichen einer Störung im Sprachsystem»), the interaction between psychic and linguistic symptoms is shown.

Two articles present a review on impairment of language in focal lesions and more generalized degenerative diseases (F. Assal, J. Ghika: Language capacities in dementia, page 280, and M. D. Martory, F. Brenasconi Pertusio, A. Boukrid: Lésions cérébrales focales et aphasie, page 286).

Finally, we offer a review and recommendations on aphasia recovery and therapy (M. Koenig-bruhin, B. Kolonko, A. At, J. M. Annoni, E. Hunziker: Aphasia following a stroke: recovery and reccomendations for rehabilitation).

We trust that with this issue both scholars and clinicians find fulfilment.