biopsychology Flashcards
What is the theory of localisation of function?
The theory that different areas of the brain are responsible for specific behaviors, processes, or activities.
What is the motor area?
A region of the frontal lobe involved in regulating movement.
What is the somatosensory area?
An area of the parietal lobe that processes sensory information such as touch.
What is the visual area?
A part of the occipital lobe that receives and processes visual information.
What is the auditory area?
Located in the temporal lobe, it is concerned with the analysis of speech-based information.
What is Broca’s area?
An area of the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere responsible for speech production.
What is Wernicke’s area?
An area of the temporal lobe (encircling the auditory cortex) in the left hemisphere responsible for language comprehension.
How is the main part of the brain (cerebrum) divided?
Into two hemispheres: left and right
What is the concept of localisation versus holistic theory?
Localisation suggests that specific areas of the brain are responsible for specific functions, while holistic theory posits that all parts of the brain are involved in processing actions and thoughts.
What evidence supports localisation of function?
Damage to specific brain areas (e.g., Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area) can result in loss of particular abilities, such as speech production or comprehension.
What does the brain’s lateralisation imply?
The left hemisphere controls activity on the right side of the body, while the right hemisphere controls activity on the left.
What are the two hemispheres of the brain responsible for?
Each hemisphere controls activity on the opposite side of the body (contralateral control).
What is the role of the motor area?
Located at the back of the frontal lobe, it controls voluntary movement on the opposite side of the body.
Where is the somatosensory area located?
At the front of both parietal lobes, responsible for processing sensory information like touch, pressure, and temperature.
What is the function of the visual area?
Found in the occipital lobe, it processes visual information, with each eye sending data to the opposite hemisphere.
What is the auditory area’s function?
Located in the temporal lobes, it analyses speech-based information, with damage potentially causing partial hearing loss.
What happens if Broca’s area is damaged?
Patients experience Broca’s aphasia, characterized by slow speech, laborious articulation, and difficulty with certain words.
What happens if Wernicke’s area is damaged?
Patients suffer from Wernicke’s aphasia, which involves producing nonsensical sentences and difficulty understanding language.
What evidence from neurosurgery supports localisation?
Dougherty et al. (2002) studied OCD patients undergoing cingulotomy and found that 30% had successful responses, indicating that behaviors linked to serious mental disorders may be localized.
What evidence from brain scans supports localisation?
Petersen et al. (1988) found that Wernicke’s area was active during a listening task, and Broca’s area was active during reading tasks.
What is a counterpoint to localisation of function?
Lashley’s (1950) work on rats learning a maze showed that no area was proven to be more critical for learning, suggesting a more holistic view of brain function.
What is a limitation of localising language to Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas?
Deeper research has found that only about 2% of researchers believe language is entirely controlled by these areas, suggesting a more holistic distribution of language function.
What are some limitations of case study evidence?
They are difficult to generalize due to the unique nature of individual brain injuries and subjective interpretations.
What case study evidence supports localisation?
Studies of brain damage, such as Phineas Gage, show that specific brain injuries can result in changes in behavior and function.
What is the motor area, and where is it located?
The motor area is located at the back of the frontal lobe and is responsible for controlling voluntary movements. Damage to this area on one side of the brain can result in impaired movement on the opposite side of the body.
What is the somatosensory area, and what does it process?
Located at the front of the parietal lobe, the somatosensory area processes sensory information from the skin, such as touch, pressure, heat, and pain. The amount of somatosensory area devoted to a body part correlates with its sensitivity.
What is the function of the visual area?
The visual area, located in the occipital lobe, processes visual information. Each eye sends data to the opposite hemisphere, meaning the left visual field is processed in the right hemisphere and vice versa.
What is the auditory area, and what can damage to it cause?
The auditory area is in the temporal lobes and is responsible for processing auditory information, including speech. Damage may result in partial hearing loss, with the extent depending on the severity of the damage.
Where is Broca’s area located, and what is its function?
Broca’s area is in the left frontal lobe and is responsible for speech production. Damage to this area can cause Broca’s aphasia, characterized by slow, laborious speech and difficulty with certain words.
Where is Wernicke’s area located, and what is its function?
Wernicke’s area is located in the left temporal lobe, encircling the auditory cortex. It is involved in language comprehension. Damage can result in Wernicke’s aphasia, where patients produce nonsensical speech and struggle to understand language.
What did recent studies find about the localisation of language?
Anthony Dick and Pascal Tremblay (2016) discovered that only 2% of researchers believe language is strictly localized in Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, suggesting a more holistic distribution of language processing.
What is a limitation of language localisation?
Language may not be confined to Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, as recent research suggests a more holistic distribution across the brain.
What did Anthony Dick and Pascale Tremblay (2016) find about language localisation?
They found that only 2% of modern researchers believe language is entirely controlled by Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas.
How have advances in imaging techniques, such as fMRI, contributed to understanding language localisation?
fMRI has allowed researchers to study neural processes with greater clarity, showing that language is distributed across the cortex, including the right hemisphere and subcortical areas like the thalamus.
What are the four main lobes of the brain?
Frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, and temporal lobe.
What is the function of the motor area?
Controls fine movements of hands, feet, tongue, and face; responsible for voluntary behavior like walking or lifting an arm.
What does the somatosensory area do?
Receives sensory information like touch, heat, and pressure.
What is the role of the visual cortex?
Processes visual information; each eye sends data from the right visual field to the left cortex and vice versa.
What is the auditory area responsible for?
Analyzing speech-based information.
What impairments occur if the motor area is damaged?
Loss of control over movements.
What happens if the somatosensory area is damaged?
Less sensitivity to touch, heat, and pressure.
What impairment results from damage to the visual cortex?
Blindness in part of the opposite visual field.
What impairment occurs if the auditory area is damaged?
Partial hearing loss and difficulty comprehending language.
What does the corpus callosum do?
Allows messages to pass between the left and right hemispheres.
What are the four lobes of the cerebrum?
Frontal lobe, parietal lobe, temporal lobe, and occipital lobe.
What are the three layers of the brain?
Central core, limbic system, and cerebrum.
Where is Wernicke’s area located?
In the left temporal lobe.
What is the function of Wernicke’s area?
It is responsible for language comprehension.
What happens if Wernicke’s area is damaged?
It causes Wernicke’s aphasia, where individuals produce nonsense words (neologisms) and struggle to find the correct words.
What does systematic research from Wernicke and Broca suggest about language lateralisation?
Most people’s language centres are lateralised to the left hemisphere.
What happens when Broca’s area is damaged?
It leads to expressive or motor aphasia, affecting speech production.
What does right-sided paralysis indicate about brain lateralisation?
It suggests damage to the left hemisphere, where motor functions for the right side are controlled.
What does the ability to understand speech but inability to produce it indicate?
Damage to Broca’s area, causing expressive or motor aphasia.
What does inability to understand speech but fluent speech production indicate?
Damage to Wernicke’s area, causing receptive or sensory aphasia.
