Localisation

Question 1

What is localisation of function?

Answer 1

Believe the specific areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours cognitive processes or activities

Question 2

What is the holistic theory of the brain?

Answer 2

Believe that all parts of the brain are involved in behaviours cognitive processes conductivities

Question 3

What is the visual cortex?

Answer 3

located in the occipital lobe

responsible for processing different types of visual information (colour shape or movement)

Spans both hemispheres of the brain

Question 4

How does damage to the left hemisphere affect the visual cortex?

Answer 4

Can produce blindness in parts of the right visual field in both eyes

Question 5

how do the hemispheres of the brain work together for the visual cortex?

Answer 5

right hemisphere receives input from the left hand side of the visual field

left hemisphere receives its input from the right hand side of the visual field

Question 6

What is the function of the auditory complex?

Answer 6

Processes sound based information (pictures and volume)

Question 7

Where is the auditory complex located

Answer 7

temporal lobe

Question 8

What will happen if there’s damage to the auditory cortex?

Answer 8

hearing loss
the more extensive damage the poor extensive to loss

Question 9

what is the function of the motor cortex?

Answer 9

Responsible for voluntary motor movements

• both hemispheres have a multiple cortex
• Cortex on one side of the brain controls the muscles on the opposite side of the body

Question 10

Where is the Motor cortex located?

Answer 10

the frontal lobe

Question 11

What happens if there’s damage to the motor cortex?

Answer 11

Loss of control over fine movements

Question 12

what is the function of the somatosensory cortex?

Answer 12

detect sensory events

produce sensations of touch pressure, pain and heat

• both hemispheres have a somatosensory cortex, cortex on one side receive sensory info from the opposite side of the body

Question 13

Where is the Somatosensory cortex located?

Answer 13

parietal lobe

Question 14

What will happen if there is damage to the somatosensory cortex?

Answer 14

decrease in sensitivity

Question 15

What is the function of the Brocas area?

Answer 15

critical for speech production

Question 16

where is the Brocas area located?

Answer 16

left frontal lobe

Question 17

what is the function of the wernickes area?

Answer 17

responsible for language comprehension

Question 18

where is Wernickes area located?

Answer 18

left temporal lobe

Question 19

what happens if there is damage to the wernickes area?

Answer 19

wernickes aphasia
producing nonsense words

Question 20

What are strengths of Brain localisation

Answer 20

supported by research
research is empirical
supported by Tans case study
supported by Phineas Gage case study

Question 21

Evaluate supported by research as a strength for localisation

Answer 21

supported by research

• Peterson at all used brain grants to demonstrate how wernickes area was active during a listening task and brocas area was active during a reading task
• Strength as it provides evidence to suggest the specific areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours

Question 22

Evaluate empirical info as a strength of localisation

Answer 22

• strength of Peterson et al’s research is that it is highly empirical
• Brain scans provide objective evidence to show that different areas of the brain were active during different tasks
• Strength because these findings provide verifiable evidence for localisation
• Study therefore provides strong evidence of localisation in the brain, supporting the theory that theres different areas of the brain responsible for different processes

Question 23

evaluate the case study of Tan as the strength of localisation

Answer 23

• supported by brocas case studies
• Studied a patient who could only say the word “Tan” but could understand speech. performed an autopsy on his brain and found damage to an area towards the base of the frontal lobe. He also investigated other patients with the same symptoms and found damage in the same area. He concluded that this area was responsible for speech production.
• Strength of localisation because these cases demonstrate that different functions are located in specific areas of the brain

Question 24

evaluate the case study of Phineas gage as a strength of localisation

Answer 24

• supported by the case study of Phineas Gage
• he was an accident where a meter length pole penetrated through his left cheek and eye and exited from the top of his head destroying most of his frontal lobe. He changed from being a calm person to someone who was quick tempered and rude.
• strength of localisation because the case studies suggest that the frontal lobe may be responsible for regulating mood

Question 25

What are the limitations of Brain localisation?

Answer 25

contradictory evidence
research used animals

Question 26

evaluate contradictory evidence as a limitation of localisation

Answer 26

• There is evidence to suggest that the theory is not correct
• Lashley removed areas of the cortex in rats which were learning maze. No area was proving to be more important than another in terms of the ability to learn the maze. Process of learning appears to require every part of the cortex.
• This contradict localisation and suggest that some functions such as learning how to complex localised and required the whole brain. This supports the holistic brain theory.

Question 27

evaluate extrapolation as a limitation of Lashleys research

Answer 27

• A limitation is that his research cannot be extrapolated to humans
• Although both humans and rats are mammals, the human brain is more sophisticated and complex
• so as this research that localisation is not part in right this doesn’t prove the same as true in humans
• Lashleys work does not disprove localisation it just suggests that it may be flawed