Functional localisation

Question 1

Who was patient Tan?

Answer 1

Broca (1961) - development of the idea that functional localisation was possible due to patient’s struggle with speech production being linked to Broca’s area.

Question 2

What are the key weaknesses in determining functional localisation?

Answer 2

Imprecision of lesion location, task difficulty confound, difficulty in defining function

Question 3

What are solutions to the main weaknesses?

Answer 3

Modern imaging techniques, double dissociations, more specific tasks that target individual functions

Question 4

Problems with modern imagine techniques?

Answer 4

Cost, adaptation of scanned images to a ‘standard’ brain, statistical noise, task unrelated variance

Question 5

Problems with double dissociation?

Answer 5

Dunn & Kirsner (2003) - double dissociation may not be enough evidence to support the inferences made from it.
Shallice(1988) - no detectable change does not necessarily mean there is absolutely no change.