localisation of function Flashcards
what does localisation of function mean?
functions such as movement, speech and memory are performed in distinct regions of the brain.
how does this contrast to a holistic view?
the holistic theft is the contrasting theory to localisation, which is the belief that all parts of the brain are involved in the processing of thought and action.
what is the outer layer of the brain called?
cerebral cortex. (grey matter). it is about 3mm thick.
what is special about the cerebral Cortex in humans?
it is what seperates humans from other animals as it is much developed.
what are gyri?
folds in the brain
what are sulci?
gaps in the brain
what are the 4 lobes of the brain?
- frontal lobe
- parietal lobe
- temporal lobe
- occipital lobe
what is the role of the limbic system?
aka mammalian brain/ midbrain. it is unique to mammals. according to MACLEAN (1990), the limbic system is the centre of emotion and learning.
who were 2 neurosurgeons known for identifying areas of the brain associated with speech processing?
Broca and Wernicke were the first to provide scientific evidence for the idea of localisation of function.
it follows that if a certain area of the brain becomes damaged through illness and injury, the function associated with that area will be affected. before this, scientists followed the holistic theory.
what is bro’s aphasia?
in 1865, Broca identified a small area in the left posterior frontal lobe for speech production. damage to this causes brocas aphasia = characterised by slow speech that lacks in fluency.
what is Wernicke’s aphasia and how is it caused?
Wernicke 1873, was studying patients who had no problems producing language but severe difficulties in understanding it.
he identified an area in the left posterior temporal lobe = responsible for language comprehension. patients with this aphasia often produce nonsense words.
how is the case of Phineas gage seen as evidence for the localisation of function?
in 1848, Phineas gage dropped his tamping iron whilst working on a railroad causing an explosive to ignite. it hurled a pole into his brain, taking a portion of brain out, most of his left frontal lobe.
he survived but the damage to his brain changed his personality. calm and reserved -> quick tempered and rude.
he is seen as a landmark in science as the change in his temperament suggests that the frontal lobe may be responsible for regulating mood.
what is the function of the motor cortex?
located in frontal lobe.
responsible for voluntary movement by sending signals to muscles in the body.
what is the function of the somatosensory area?
located in the parietal lobe.
receives incoming sensory info from the skin tp produce sensations related to pressure, pain, temperature.
different parts receive messaged from different locations of the body.
what is the function of Wernicke’s area?
named after Carl Wernicke.
patients who could talk but not understand language.
lesion to left temporal lobe.
responsible fr language comprehension.
