Localisation Of Function

Question 1

Localisation of function

Answer 1

• the idea that certain functions have certain locations or areas within the brain

Question 2

Lateralisation

Answer 2

• the idea that the two halves of the brain are functionally different and that each hemisphere has functional specialisations

Question 3

Motor cortex

Answer 3

• responsible for generation of voluntary motor movements
• located in frontal lobe
• on 1 side of the brain controls the muscles on the opposite side of the body
• these regions are arranged logically next to one another so the region that the controls the actions of the foot next to the region that controls the leg ect.

Question 4

Somatosensory cortex

Answer 4

• detects sensory events arising from regions of the body
• located in the parietal lobe
• using sensory information from the skin, it produces sensations of touch, pressure, pain and temperature which it then localises to specific body regions
  -both hemispheres have a somatosensory cortex, one side of the brain receiving sensory info from the opposite side of the body

Question 5

The visual cortex

Answer 5

• receives and processes visual information
• located in occipital lobe at the back of the brain
• each eye sends infomation from the right visual field to the left visual cortex and from the left visual field to the right visual cortex

Question 6

Auditory area

Answer 6

• concerned with the analysis of speech based info
• within temporal lobe in both hemispheres

Question 7

Case study: Phineas Gage

Answer 7

• meter length metal pole through left cheek, split up his amygdala and pre-frontal cortex
• communication was distrusted and wasnt able to regulate normally
• supports localisation, shows how certain parts of the brain are responsible for certain roles

Limitations:
- might just be a one in a millions chance, how can you generalised this? -> ideographic

Question 8

Dick and Tremblay

Answer 8

• 2% of modern researchers think that language in the brain is completely controlled by Broca and Wernickes area
• FMRI’s mean neural processes can be studied more than ever
• language function is distributed holistically
• language streams have been identified across the cortex

Question 9

Karl Lashley

Answer 9

• suggests that higher cognitive functions, such as the process involved in learning, are not localised but distributed in a more holistic way in the brain
• removed areas of the cortex in rats that were learning a maze, no area was proved to be more important than any other in terms of their ability to learn the maze
  ISSUES:
• extrapolation
• how can this be applied to humans

Question 10

Dougherty et al

Answer 10

• reported on 44 OCD patients who had undergone a cingulotomy
• a follow up 32 weeks later showed a third of patients had met the criteria of successful response and 14% for a partial response
• supports localisation
• certain area of the brain effects OCD

Question 11

Broca’s area

Answer 11

• main area where speech is produced

Question 12

Wernickes area

Answer 12

• primarily responsible for language comprehension