Lateralisation and Split Brain research

Question 1

Hemispheric Lateralisation
(give example)

Answer 1

Refers to the fact that some mental processes in the brain are specialised to either the left or right hempisphere
-e.g language localised to left hempsphere via Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas.

Question 2

Split-Brain research

Answer 2

Research that studies people who have had a commissurotomy
-Corpus callosum is severed to seperate the two hemispheres

Question 3

Why was a commissurotomy done?

Answer 3

To reduce the severity of epileptic seizures

Question 4

Who carried out split brain research?

Answer 4

Sperry

Question 5

Explain one of Sperry’s split brain experiments

Answer 5

Patients were asked to say words presented to them.
When a word was processed by the left hemisphere, they could say what it was. When it was processed by the right hemisphere, they stated that there was nothing.
This is because the right hemisphere cannot process language and so was not even able to recognise that the word was there

Question 6

What Sperry concluded

Answer 6

1. Hemispheric lateralisation existed, the two hemispheres had different functions
2. Language and speech are located in the left hemisphere while visual and motor functions were located in the right

Question 7

fMRI definition

Answer 7

-Technique for measuring brain activity
-Works by detecting changes in blood oxygenation and flow that indicate increased activity.

Question 8

EEG definition

Answer 8

A method of recording changes in the electrical activity of the brain using electrodes attached to the scalp

Question 9

ERP definition

Answer 9

-Technique that uses raw EEG
-Takes multiple readings and averages them to investigate cognitive processing of a specific event.

Question 10

Post mortem definition

Answer 10

-Ways of examining brains of people who showed signs of psychological abnormalities prior to death.
-Done in an attempt to establish the possible neurobiological cause for this behaviour