brain Flashcards
The Pituitary gland
The ‘master gland’, whose primary function is to influence the release of hormones from other glands
What is the Pituitary gland controlled by
The hypothalamus
Hypothalamus
A region of the brain just above the pituitary gland that recieves information from many sources about basic functions of the body, this helps regulate the body
What are the two parts of the Pituitary gland?
The anterior (front) & The posterior (back)
Where is ACTH and Oxytocin released?
Anterior pituitary/Posterior pituitary
Where is Thyroxine released?
Thyroid
What the difference between the ‘stressor’ and ‘stress’?
Stressor - Something that activates the stress response Stress - A bodily response to a stressor
Effects of the parasympathetic system
- Muscle relaxation - Salvation resumes - Digestive system returns to main function - HR Slows down
Parietal Lobe
Recieve imformation from the outside world eg touch, taste
Frontal Lobe
High cognitve functioning. eg tramatic brain injury .
Temporal Lobe
For processing emotions, language etc
Localisation of function
A theory that certain functions (e.g. language, memory, etc.) have certain locations or areas within the brain.
What is Broca’s Area?
An area in the frontal lobe of the brain, usually in the left hemisphere, related to speech production. -Can comprehend language - Unable to speak fluently - Left frontal lobe
What is Wernicke’s area?
An area in the temporal lobe of the brain important in the understanding of language.
- Can comprehend language
- Left temporal
- Able to speak
What is the Motor cortex?
A region of the brain responsible for the generation of voluntary motor movements.
What is the Somatosensory cortex?
A region of the brain that processes input from the sensory receptors in the body that are sensitive to touch.
What is cognitive functioning?
Thinking processes.
Where is the Somatosensory cortex located?
It is located in the parietal lobe and receives incoming sensory information from the skin to produce sensations related to pressure, pain, temperature, etc.
Robertson (1995) discovery of the Somatosensory cortex?
He found that this area of the brain is highly adaptable, with Braille readers having larger areas in the somatosensory area for their fingertips compared to normally sighted participants.
Who found the Somatosensory cortex?
Brodmann
Location of Motor area
Frontal lobe
Location of Somatosensory area
Partial lobe
Location of Visual area
Occipital lobe
Location of Auditory area
Temporal
Function of Motor area
Responsible for voluntary movements by sending signals to the muscles in the body
Function of the Somatosensory
Responsible for recieving incoming sensory information from the skin to produce sensations related to produce sensations relation pressure, pain, temperature, etc
Function of the visual area
Responsible for recieving and processes visual information. eg colour, shape and movement
Function of the auditory
Responsible for analysing and processing acoustic information
Left, Right, or Both hemisphere? Motor Area
The motor area on one side the brain controls muscles on the opposite side
Left, Right, or Both hemisphere? Somatosensory Area
BOTH The somasensory area on one side of the brain recicves sensory information from the opposite side of the body
Left, Right, or Both hemisphere? Visual Area
BOTH Information from the right-hand side visual field is processed in the left hemisphere, information from the left-hand side is processed on the right hemisphere
Left, Right, or Both hemisphere? Auditory Area
BOTH Information the left ear goes primarly to the right hemisphere etc
Localisation of function AO3 Language production may not be confined to Broca’s area alone Evidence - Case studies
Dronkers et al. (2007) conducted an MRI scan on Tan’s brain, to try to confirm Broca’s findings. Although there was a lesion found in Broca’s area, they also found evidence to suggest other areas may have contributed to the failure in speech production.
Localisation of function AO3 Support for language centres for aphasia studies
Evidence for different functions of Broca’s and Wernicke’s area in a language production and understandings comes from the discovery that damage to these different areas results in different types of aphasia.
Localisation of function AO3 Communication may be more important than localisation
Research suggests that what might be more important how brain areas communicate with each other, rather than which specific brain regions control a particular cognitive process. eg Dejerine (1892) case
Localisation of function AO3 There are individual differences in language areas
Herasty (1997) found that women have proportionally larger Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas than men, which can perhaps explain the greater ease of language use amongst women.
Localisation of Function AO3 Issues & Debates
This, however, suggests a level of beta bias in the theory: the differences between men and woman are ignored, and variations in the pattern of activation and the size of areas observed during various language activities are not considered.
Broca’s aphasia
-Caused by damage to left frontal lobe
-Speech production impaired
-Speech comprehension intact
Wernicke’s aphasia
- Caused by damage to left temporal lobe
- Speech production intact
-Speech comprehension impaired
Localisation of function AO3 Challenges to localisation: equipotentiality
Lashley, 1930) suggests that basic motor and sensory functions are localised, but that higher mental functions were not. -Using rats he demonstrated using leisons that when the brain area is involved in memory is damaged, another part of the area can take over the memory function
Lateralisation
The idea that the two halves of the brain are functionally different and certain processes or behaviours are controlled by one hemisphere.
Lateralisation What does the right side processes
The RIGHT side of the brain processes info from LEFT half of body (e.g visual info from the left eye)
Lateralisation What does the Left side processes
The LEFT side of brain processes info from RIGHT half of body (e.g visual info from the right eye)
Hemispheric Lateralisation (AO1)
The brain has two hemispheres (right and left) which are connected by a bundle of fibres called the corpus callosum.
Lateralisation What is the Left hemisphere dominant?
Left hemisphere is dominant for language
Lateralisation What is Right hemisphere dominant for?
Right hemisphere is dominant for visual-motor task
Lateralisation
Brain processes are lateralised to a specific half of the brain
Commissurotomy
A type of surgery that some paitents with severe epilepsy may undergo to have their corpus callousum removed
What was the aim of Sperry (1968)’s study?
To investigate what functions of the brain are lateralised.
What was the procedure of Sperry’s study?
Compared split-brain patients to others with no hemisphere separation. Different activities were tried with the patients including touch of objects and visual presentation of stimuli to see how the different sides perform on tasks.
What were the findings of Sperry’s study?
LEFT visual field: they could not describe it (they often reported that there was nothing there).
RIGHT visual field: they could easily describe the picture shown to their right visual field.
What are the strengths and limitations you can think of, about using split brain paitents in research that aims to understand the brain better.
- Small numbers - Specialised sample - Idiographic approach taken
Localised regions of the brain
Frontal lobe Temporal lobe Partial lobe Occipital lobe
Features of Sperry’s study
11 participants All right handed All had brain surgery to remove corpous callosum Aparatus created for the study
Results of sperry’s study
- Language lateralised to the left - Drawing was better with left hand (right brain) - Description was possible if information was presented in the RVF - Visual motor skills are lateralised to the right
Advantages of Lateralisation AO3
Increases neural processings capacity eg By using only one hemisphere to engage with a particular task (eg language or mathematical ability), this would lead to other hemisphere free to engage in another function.
Advantages of Lateralisation AO3 Rogers et al
suggested that brain lateralisation enhances brain efficiency in cognitive tasks that demand simultaneous use of the hemispheres. For instance in domestic chickens they found that the chickens could hunt for food as well as look out for predators.
Lateralisation changes with age AO3 Szaflarski et al. (2006)
Found that language became more lateralised to the left hemisphere with increasing age in children and adolescents, but after the age of 25 it decreased with each decade of their life
Brain plasicity
Refers the brains ability to change and adapt because of experience
Functional recovery
Is the transfer of function from a damaged area of the brain after trauma to undamaged areas
Language may not be restricted the left hemisphere
Gazzaniga’s (1998) split brain research had suggested that right hemisphere was unable to handle even the most basic language. Damage to the left hemisphere was found to be more detrimental to language function than damage to the right. JW patient: can speak about information presented to the right or left side of the brain
Limitations of split-brain research
The procedure is rarely carried out nowadays and not enough research out there
Limitations of split-brain research (AO3) Andrewes (2001)
Many studies only have 3 p’s or even just 1 p’s – makes generalisation difficult as these patients had confounding physical disorders that made the split brain necessary. Results- failed to be replicated as they are ‘rogue’ cases.
Neuronal unmasking
Dormant synapses open to connections to compensate for nearby damaged area of the brain
Turk et al. (2002) - it could be argued that language may not be restricted to the left hemisphere
Discovered a patient who suffered damage to the left hemisphere but developed the capacity to speak in the right hemisphere, eventually leading to the ability to speak about the information presented to either side of the brain.
Maguire et al. (2000) Functional recovery
found that the posterior hippocampal volume of London taxi drivers’ brains was positively correlated with their time as a taxi driver and that there were significant differences between the taxi drivers’ brains and those of controls. This shows that the brain can permanently change in response to frequent exposure to a particular task.
Taijiri et al. (2013) Functional recovery
Found that stem cells provided to rats after brain trauma showed a clear development of neuron-like cells in the area of injury. This demonstrates the ability of the brain to create new connections using neurons manufactured by stem cells.
Aim of Maguire’s research
To examine whether structural changes could be detected in the brains of people with extensive experiences of spatial navigation
Kuhn et al Plastcity
Found a significant increase in grey matter in various regions of the brain after p’s played video games for 30 min a day over two-month period
Elbert et al Functional recovery
Concluded the capacity for neural reorganisation after trauma is much greater in children than adults, meaning neural regeneration is less effective in older brain
Davidson et al AO3
Demonstrated the permenant change in the brain generatedby prolonged meditation: Buddhist monk who mediated frequently had much greater activation of gamma waves than students with no experience of meditation.
Which area is responsible for processing sensation such as pain and pressure?
parietal lobe - C
Which area of the brain processes information such as colour and shape?
Occipital lobe - D
Which area of the brain processes information such as pitch and volume?
Temporal lobe - E
