Localisation of brain function

Question 1

What is the definition of localisation?

Answer 1

Different areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours, processes or activities

Question 2

What is the definition of holistic?

Answer 2

All parts of the brain are involved in the processing of thought and actions.

Question 3

What is it called when a function is controlled by a particular hemisphere?

Answer 3

Lateralisation

Question 4

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 4

The outer layer of the hemispheres, it covers the inner parts of the brain

Question 5

What is the cerebral cortex responsible for?

Answer 5

Higher level processing e.g = problem solving

Question 6

What is the function of the frontal lobe?

Answer 6

Voluntary movements in the opposite side of the body

Question 7

What is the function of the parietal lobe?

Answer 7

Sensory information from the skin is represented

Question 8

What is the function of the occipital lobe?

Answer 8

Each eye sends infro from the right visual field to the left visual cortex and vice versa

Question 9

What is the function of the temporal lobe?

Answer 9

Analyses speech

Question 10

What side of the brain is responsible for language?

Answer 10

left side

Question 11

What is the Broca’s area responsible for?

Answer 11

Speech production
Damage to this area can cayse aphasia (speech that is slow and lacking in fluency)

Question 12

What is the Wernicke’s area responsible for?

Answer 12

Language comprehension

Question 13

What does damage to the Wernicke’s area do?

Answer 13

Causes Wernicke’s aphasia (produces nonsense words)

Question 14

Strength - Evidence shows that damage to brain areas are linked to mental disorders.

Answer 14

• Freeman developed lobotomies to remove parts of the brain and control behaviour
• Neurosurgery still exists for extreme OCD and depression cases
• Dougherty et al: 44 OCD participants underwent a cingulotomy. 30% successful, 14% partial response

Question 15

Strength - Brain scan evidence for localisation

Answer 15

Peterson:
- Brain scans show Wernicke area active during listening task, and Broca area active in reading task
Tulving:
- Brain scans show episodic and semantic memories are stored in different parts of the prefrontal cortex

Question 16

Limitation - Counterpoint to localisation evidence

Answer 16

Lashley’s research:
- Higher cognitive functions are holistic not localised
- He removed areas of the cortex of rats learning a maze
- Learning appeared to require all areas of the cortex
- Suggests learning is too complicated to be localised