biopsychology - 1.5 Flashcards
cortex
outer layer of the brain
6 brain regions
motor cortex
visual cortex
auditory cortex
somatosensory cortex
broca’s area
wernick’s area
hemispheric lateralisation
the idea that the two hemispheres perform different functions
which hemisphere are language skills lateralised to?
the left hemisphere
which hemisphere are spatial skills lateralised to?
right hemisphere
contralateral
when hemispheres of the brain control opposite sides of the body
if functions are contralateral then the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body
how are the senses and movement organised
vision, movement and touch are contralateral
smell, taste and hearing aren’t contralateral
corpus callosum
bundle of neurons which connects the 2 hemispheres
how do the left and right hemisphere communicate?
by sending nerve impulses to each other via synapses
evidence for hemispheric lateralisation (split brain research)
some people suffer from seizures, can’t be stopped with treatment
cutting corpus callosum stops all excess electrical overactivity spreading from one hemisphere to the other
means two hemispheres are no longer able to communicate
researchers study split brain patients to understand how functions are lateralised across the two hemispheres
limitation of hemispheric lateralisation (exception to theory EB)
EB had a tumour on left hemisphere when 2.5 years old
EB lost and regained all his language skills
in 2014 a researcher did a case study on EB to investigate how he regained his language skills
verbally tested EB’s language skills using brain imaging to find out which parts were active, compacted with control group of normal brains
control group spoke and their left hemisphere was active, EB spoke and his right hemisphere was active
concluded that right hemisphere had taken over language function
hemispherically lateralised functions can be taken over by the other hemisphere in some conditions
