Localisation Of Brain/ Split Brain/ Hemispheric Lateralisation/ Plasticity & Function Recovery

Question 1

What is localisation of function?

Answer 1

Refers to the belief that specific areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours, cognitive processes or activities

Question 2

What are the names of the 4 lobes of the brain?

Answer 2

Frontal lobe
Parietal lobe
Occipital lobe
Temporal lobe

Question 3

What’s the pneumonic for the 6 areas of the brain?

Answer 3

Brain Memory Sometimes Varies With Age

Question 4

What are the 6 areas of the brain?

Answer 4

Broca’s area Motor cortex Somatosensory cortex Visual cortex Wernicke’s area Auditory area

Question 5

Whats the function of the visual cortex and what happens if it gets damaged?

Answer 5

Located in the occipital lobe
It’s responsible for processing different types of visual information such as colour, shape or movement
It spans both hemispheres of the brain
Damage to either side of the hemisphere can produce blindness in part of the visual field in both eyes

Question 6

Whats the function of the auditory cortex and what happens if it gets damaged?

Answer 6

Located within the temporal lobes on both sides of the brain
It processes sound-based information such as pitch and volume
Damage may produce hearing loss, the more extensive the damage the more extensive the loss

Question 7

Whats the function of the motor cortex and what happens if it gets damaged?

Answer 7

Located in the temporal lobe - precentral gyrus
Responsible for voluntary motor movement
Both hemispheres have a motor cortex
Different parts of the motor cortex exert control over different parts of the body
Damage to the motor cortex may result in loss of control over fine movements

Question 8

Whats the function of the somatosensory cortex and what happens if it gets damaged?

Answer 8

Located in the parietal lobe
Detects sensory information related to touch (pressure, pain, heat)
Damage to the somatosensory cortex results in decreased sensitivity

Question 9

Whats the function of the Broca’s area and what happens if it gets damaged?

Answer 9

Located in the left frontal lobe - lateralised to left hemisphere
Critical for speech production
Damage to the Broca’s area causes broca’s aphasia - speech that is slow, laborious, and lacking in fluency

Question 10

Whats the function of wernicke’s area and what happens if it gets damaged?

Answer 10

Located in the left frontal lobe - lateralised to left hemisphere
Responsible for language comprehension (understanding speech)
Damage to the wernickes area results in wernickes aphasia - produce nonsense words as part of their normal speech