Can the right hemisphere speak?

While a capacity for the right hemisphere in language and language related functions is established, a role for the right hemisphere in speech production is controversial. The question of the nature of a possible right hemisphere speech production capability has centered mainly on the Jacksonian notion of nonpropositional speech. In this paper I examine whether the right hemisphere does have a particular role in nonpropositional speech through an exploration of the neurophysiological evidence, research in aphasic speech automatisms, and degree of propositionality in the retained speech of adult left hemispherectomy patients. (C) 1997 Academic Press.