What is Lichtheim's house?

• A. Built on Broca and Wernicke's theories of speech production and comprehension; posits three processes performed by 'a', 'b', and 'm'
• B. A model of memory storage in the hippocampus
• C. A theory of visual processing
• D. A map of the cerebellar connections

Answer: (A)

Lichtheim’s house is an early, integrated model of language in which production and comprehension are connected through a simple, three‑process system. It builds on Broca’s idea that speech production relies on a motor plan and on Wernicke’s idea that understanding language depends on auditory–phonological representations. In the diagram, three processes labeled a, b, and m represent distinct steps linking what we hear to what we say and how we repeat words. The a process handles the auditory/recognition side (understanding spoken language), the b process handles the motor/production side (planning and articulating speech), and the m process connects the two, supporting repetition and the transfer between perception and production. This framework explains how damage to different parts or connections can yield different language deficits—for example, problems with understanding, with speaking fluently, or with repeating heard language—because the routes between comprehension, articulation, and repetition are separate but interconnected.