Brain localisation

Question 1

What is brain localisation?

Answer 1

Idea that different parts of the brain perform different functions.

Question 2

What is the motor cortex?

Answer 2

Located in frontal lobe
Controls movement
Organised contralaterally

Question 3

What is the somatosensory cortex?

Answer 3

Located in the parietal lobe
Behind motor cortex
Processes touch via receiving nerve impulses from sensory neurons next to sensory receptors on the skin.

Allows us to feel things

Organised contralaterally

Damage to left somatosensory cortex = inability to feel touch/pain in the right side of the body.

Question 4

What is the auditory cortex?

Answer 4

Located in the temporal lobe

In both hemispheres

Processes sound by receiving nerve impulses from sensory neurons.

Sits below motor and somatosensory cortex

Question 5

What is the visual cortex

Answer 5

Process vision

Located in occipital lobe

Sits at back of the brain

Nerve impulses communicate with sensory receptors in the eye

Organised contralaterally

Question 6

What is Broca’s area

Answer 6

Involved in producing language

Hemispherically lateralised to left hemispheres.

Damage to Broca’s area = no longer chose/write correct words but we can still understand the words.

Question 7

What is Wernicke’s area

Answer 7

Involved in processing language

Hemsipherically lateralised to left hemisphere.

Question 8

What does the term aphasia mean?

Answer 8

Problems with speech

Broca’s aphasia —-> inability to produce language

Wernicke’s aphasia —-> inability to process language

Question 9

Responsibility of frontal lobe??

Answer 9

Cognitive functions such as attention and memory

Processes autonomic and emotional reponses

Question 10

Responsibility of parietal lobe?

Answer 10

Porcesses physical sensations

Coordination with visual and auditory sensations

Question 11

Responsibility of temporal lobe?

Answer 11

Processes auditory information

Understanding speech and written language

Sounds and words

Question 12

Responsibility of occipital lobe?

Answer 12

Interprets visual impulses

Helps in color visual orientation

Question 13

Evaluation for localisation:

support for brain localisation

Answer 13

Case studies = detailed investigations into small groups/single individuals.

Post mortem examinations

Brain damage to different parts of the brain consistently led to same behavioural symptoms.

Question 14

Evaluation: limitation
Oversimplified

Answer 14

Since Broca’s research — replicated with larger groups using brain imaging techniques

Dronkers (2007) —–> took Tan’s brain and found Tan had other damages to the brain

These damages could have contributed to Broca’s aphasia.

Language production is not localised to only one part of the brain.

Complex brain functions do not work alone.

Dick and Tremblay –> Only 2% of researchers believe language completely localised to Broca and Werncikes area.

Question 15

Evaluation: limitation
Ignores important communication between brain regions

Answer 15

Dejerne —> case study on man who couldn’t understand written words —–> Wernicke’s aphasia

Damaged connections between visual cortex and Wernicke’s area.

Axon in one brain region branches out to another, forming synapses with neurons in the brain region.

Damage to connections stops us from performing tasks.

Question 16

Evaluation: Limitations

Individual difference in localisation functions

Answer 16

Bavelier 1997

Conducted experiment where individuals asked to read silently while brain was imaged.

Looked at parts of the brain that were active

Found differences in people who use slightly different parts of the brain.

Question 17

Other evaluation points:

Answer 17

Lashley —> removed 10-50% of the cortex of rats —> learn the route of maze

No area of the brain was more important than the other.

Learning requires many area of cortex

Not localised to one area—-> brain works holistically.