Biopsychology - Localisation of Function in the Brain

Question 1

Discuss localisation vs holism.

Answer 1

Localisation - Specific areas of the brain have specific functions. If an area of the brain is damaged a person will looses the functions associated with that area.

Holism - All parts of the brain are involved in thoughts and behaviours.

Question 2

Motor Area

Answer 2

Back of frontal lobe (over both hemispheres). Controls voluntary movement in the opposite side of he body.

Question 3

Somatosensory Area

Answer 3

Front of both parietal lobes. Information from the skin, feeling. the amount of space dedicated to each area on the body depends on sensitivity of that body part. Hands and face occupy over 50% of the somatosensory area.

Question 4

Visual Area

Answer 4

Occipital lobe. Info travels from one visual field to the opposite visual cortex. (right visual field to the left visual cortex). So damage to the left hemisphere can cause damage to the right field of vision to both hemispheres.

Question 5

Auditory Area

Answer 5

Temporal lobes. A analysis of speech based information.

Question 6

Language Centre’s Broca and Wernicke

Answer 6

Language is restricted to the left side of the brain. Broca’s area left frontal lobe. Responsible for speech production. Damage leads to Broca’s aphasia. Low laborious and influent speech.

Wernicke’s area. Left temporal lobe as well. Fluent speech but lacking meaning. Wernicke’s aphasia - produce nonsense speech.

Question 7

Strength Evidence from neurosurgery

Answer 7

Dougherty
Cingulotomy 30% had successful response. 14% partial. Neurosurgery to treat mental disorders. Behaviours can be associated with a specific part of the brain.

Question 8

Strength Evidence from brain scans

COUNTERPOINT

Answer 8

Petersen
Wernicke’s area active during listening task. Broca’s area active during reading. Semantic and episodic memories are located in different areas of the prefrontal cortex.

COUNTERPOINT

Lashley. Removed part of the rats brains when learning maze. No part seemed to be more important. Learning the route required all parts of the cortex. Support for holism.

Question 9

Weakness doubts about language localisation

Answer 9

Dick and Tremblay
Review found that 2% of modern researchers believe in language localisation in Broca and Wernicke’s Area. fMRI shows language function to be more widely distributed around the brain (including right hemisphere). Contradicts localisation and supports holism.

Question 10

Strength Case Study of Phineas Gage

COUNTERPOINT

Answer 10

Damage to left frontal lobe. Changes in mood and personality. Could be proof that frontal lobe regulates mood.

COUNTERPOINT
Case study. Difficult to generalise when it comes from a single individual. Subjective interpretation of his story. Change in personality could have been caused by a life threatening injury and the experience if it.