localisation of function Flashcards
briefly explain what is meant by the term localisation of function
different areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviors, processes or activities
what does the motor cortex control
•The motor cortex is involved in regulating and coordinating movements.
•Lesions or damage in the
motor area results in an inability to control voluntary fine motor movements.
where is the motor cortex located
in the frontal lobe.
Both hemispheres have a motor cortex with each side controlling muscles on the opposite side of the body
outline the role of the somatosensory centre in the brain
- the somatosensory cortex processes input from sensory receptors in the body.
- it is located in the parietal lobe and produces sensations of heat/pain which are then localised to a specific body part
- Lesions in this area result in a loss of ability to denote sensitivity to particular bodily areas
outline the role of the visual centre in the brain
The right hemisphere’s visual cortex processes visual information received by the left eye and vice-versa.
Processing of visual information starts when light enters the eye and strikes photoreceptors on the retina at the back of the eye. Nerve impulses then travel up the optic nerve to the thalamus and are then passed on to the visual cortex
outline the role of the auditory centre in the brain: where does Processing of auditory information begin?
Processing of auditory information begins in the inner ear’s cochlea where sound waves are converted into nerve impulses
outline the role of the auditory centre in the brain: where do the nerve impulses travel to?
the nerve impulses travel along the auditory nerve to the brain stem (which decodes duration and intensity of sound) then to the auditory cortex which recognises the sound
what are the two language centres and which hemisphere of the brain are they located in?
Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area
- located in the left hemisphere of the brain
outline the main function of Broca’s area
Broca’s Area is the main centre of speech production. patients with speech production problems had (damage) to this area in their left hemisphere
explain the role of wernickes area
Wernicke’s area is involved in understanding language.
people with lesions in this brain area could produce but not understand/comprehend language.
how is Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area connected
Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas are connected by a loop that ties together language production and comprehension.
explain research evaluating localisation of function
research from brain scans have been shown to support localisation of function. furthermore, paterson et al used brain scans to show activity in Wernicke’s area during a listening task and activity in broca’s area during a reading task. these findings support localisation of function as they evidence that the brain has specific areas and specific functions
how have case studies been used to support localisation of function
a further strength of localisation of function is support from case studies. the case of phineas gage who had serious brain damage, survived it but the damage seriously affected his personality. he went from being calm and reserved to being quick tempered and rude. therefore the case study of phineas gage suggests that the frontal lobe may be responsible for regulating mood. this study offered an initial base for further exploration around localisation of brain function and more specifically, on the functions of the frontal lobe.
how is localisation of function biologically reductionist
critics argue that theories of localisation are biologically reductionist in nature and try to reduce very complex human behaviours and cognitive processes to one specific brain region. Furthermore, psychologists suggest that it is more important to investigate how the brain areas communicate with each other, rather than focusing on specific brain regions. Wernicke claimed that although the different areas of the brain are independent, they must interact with each other in order to function.
what did Wernicke find in a case study that suggests brain areas communicate to produce complex behaviours– how does this reduce the credibility of localisation theory?
a man who lost his ability to read, following damage to the connection between the visual cortex and the Wernicke’s area. This suggests that interactions between different areas produce complex behaviours such as language. Therefore, damage to the connection between any two points can result in impairments that resemble damage to the localised brain region associated with that specific function. This reduces the credibility of the localisation theory.
