Biopsychology - Hemispheric Lateralisation AO1 Flashcards
What is hemispheric lateralisation?
The brain is lateralised into two sides the left and the right side each hemisphere is said to have specific functions.
What is meant by localised?
Some functions are localised and appear in both left and right hemispheres
What is meant by contralateral?
In the motor area, the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and vice versa.
What is meant by contralateral and ipsilateral?
Left visual field of both eyes is connected to the right hemisphere and the right visual field of both eyes is connected to the left hemisphere.
Enabling the visual areas to compare the slightly different perspective from each eye .
What was the procedure findings and conclusion of Sperry’s split brain research?
Procedure: 11 split brain participants were studied using the setup of two images one presented on the left and one on the right with a dot in the middle. an image or word would be projected to the RVF and the same or a different image would be projected to the LVF. Presenting the image to one hemisphere and meant that the information could not be conveyed from that hemisphere to the other.
Findings: The objects shown to the RVF, participants could describe what was seen because the left hemisphere is the centre of language. However, objects shown to the LVF; participants could not name the object, they could select matching objects with the left hand, can select object closely associated with picture
Conclusion: demonstrates how certain functions are lateralised in the brain shows that the left hemisphere is verbal and the right hemisphere is predominantly for motor tasks.
What is meant by a ‘split brain’?
- Two hemispheres surgically separated by cutting the corpus callosum.
- Used to treat severe epilepsy to reduce the ;electrical storm’ across hemispheres.
