Brain localisation Flashcards
What is localisation of brain function
Specific brain areas are associated with specific psychological and physical functions
Describe the motor area
Located in the frontal lobe
Involves both hemispheres
Responsible for voluntary motor movements by sending signals to muscles along precentral gyrus
Contralaterally controlled - Right side movement controlled by left hemisphere and vice versa
Damage can lead to loss of movement
Describe the somatosensory area
Located in parietal lobe
Involves both hemispheres
Processes sensory info from skin
Damage can lead to loss of sensation
Different somatosensory areas receive messages from different body parts(requires more brain power)
Describe the visual area
Located in the occipital lobe
Involves both hemispheres
Processes visual info
Light enters and hits photoreceptors(rods and cones). Nerve impulses from retina transmitted to brain via optic nerve.
Info on right hand side visual field processed by left hemisphere and vice versa
Different parts of visual area process different visual info
Damage can lead to vision loss in one/both eyes
Describe the auditory area
Located in the temporal lobe
Involves both hemispheres
Analyses and processes acoustic info
Info from right ear goes to left hemisphere and vice versa
Primary auditory area processes simple sound features e.g. volume pitch
Damage can lead to hearing loss
Describe the Broca’s area
Located in the left frontal lobe
Developed by Paul Broca
Involves the left hemisphere
Tan case study - Tan could understand spoken language but couldn’t produce words other than Tan
Post mortem examination showed lesion on left frontal lobe, suggesting that left frontal lobe is responsible for speech production.
Damage to the Broca’s area results in Broca’s aphasia which leads to speech production problems
Describe the Wernicke’s area
Found in the left temporal lobe
Involves the left hemisphere
Developed by Carl Wernicke
Post modem examination revealed that the Wernicke’s area in the left temporal lobe controls speech comprehension.
Patients with lesions in this area could produce speech but couldn’t comprehend language
Damage to this area leads to Wernicke’s aphasia which leads to speech comprehension problems
Evaluate brain localisation
Brain scans during listening/reading task show Wernicke’s and Broca’s area being active
Evidence to refute - Rats with removed cortex parts(10-50%) show all parts are equal when learning maze
Evidence to refute - MRI scan on Tan’s brain shows other areas could have also lead to speech production problems
Beta bias - Women have larger Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas but isn’t taken into account(beta bias)
