BRAIN Flashcards
Frontal lobe
Several functions such as language; planning; judgement; problem solving; aspects of personality; and regulation of emotions. Much of the frontal lobe is the association area. This is the part of the frontal lobe responsible for cognitive processes such as attention, planning and problem solving, as well as aspects of personality. Each Frontal lobe includes the primary motor cortex for each hemisphere.
Primary motor cortex
The primary motor cortex is situated at the rear of each frontal lobe, next to the central ssure. It is the part of the frontal lobe that is responsible for movement of the skeletal muscles of the body.
Parietal lobe
Much of the parietal lobe is taken up by the primary somatosensory cortex. It is situated at the front of each parietal lobe, just behind the central ssure, and receives sensations such as touch, pressure, temperature and pain from the body.
Temporal lobes
The temporal lobe processes auditory information – sensations received in the ears. The primary auditory cortex is in the upper part of the temporal lobe. The temporal lobe performs the complex auditory analysis that is necessary for understanding human speech or listening to music. Parts of the lobe are specialised in sensitivity to particular types of sounds.
Occipital lobe
The occipital lobes are entirely concerned with vision. Information from the left side of each retina is processed in the left occipital lobe and information from the right side of each retina is processed in the right occipital lobe. Information from the centre of the visual eld and the centre of each retina is processed in both occipital lobes (see Figure 5.14).
Di erent parts of the primary visual cortex of the occipital lobe process di erent types of visual stimuli, and the association areas organise these into more complex forms to enable interpretation
Broca’s area
The association area of the left frontal lobe includes Broca’s area. This area co-ordinates the movement of the lips, tongue and vocal cords for articulation of words. It also relies on other parts of the frontal lobe for planning sentences and the muscle movement necessary to produce meaningful speech. Broca’s area is located near the primary motor cortex of the left frontal lobe which enables these parts of the brain to communicate quickly with each other, enabling a person to engage in conversation and communication.
Wernickes area
The left temporal lobe contains Wernicke’s area, which is responsible for storing receptor codes that interpret the meaning of language. People with damage to their left temporal lobe are likely to have di culty in comprehending both written and spoken language.
