A patient exhibits impaired speech production but intact comprehension after a stroke; why does double dissociation with Wernicke's aphasia strengthen structure-function inference?

💡 Explanation

Double dissociation, seen when Broca's and Wernicke's aphasias show opposite deficits, isolates distinct cognitive functions. Because damage to Broca's area impairs production while comprehension remains, and vice-versa for Wernicke's area, this confirms that these regions are functionally specialized, therefore providing stronger evidence of structure-function mapping, rather than alternative explanations.

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