Anatomical Features
The arcuate fasciculus (AF) is a bundle of axons that connects the Broca’s area and the Wernicke’s area in the brain. It is an association fiber tract connecting caudal temporal cortex and inferior frontal lobe.
Here, You can see your arcuate fascicle 3D projected inside your brain, open this website in your VR headset to visualize in Virtual Reality
Function
Syntax refers to a set of rules by which we order words within a language. As the arcuate fasciculus matures and undergoes myelination, there is an increase in the ability to process syntax. Lesions in the arcuate fasciculus often result in difficulties with syntax.
Arcuate fasicle damage results in:Conduction aphasia, Tone deafness, Stuttering, Specific Language Impairment, Dyslexia
The Dual-Stream model of language proposes that there are two streams by which the brain processes language information: the dorsal and ventral streams. The dorsal pathway consists of multiple fiber tracts, one of which is the arcuate fasciculus. The dorsal pathway as a whole is implicated in sensory-to-motor mapping and processing complex syntax.