Localisation of function - 16 Flashcards
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Moreover, research to support localisation of function in the brain was by Broca.
He reported the case study of man who lost the ability to speak, except for one word
‘Tan’, even though he could understand language.
Post imortems showed damage in one area in the left hemisphere, which is now named Broca’s area.
This shows that language production is localised to one specific brain area as the theory predicts.
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HoWever, both case studies lack population validity.
It may not be
appropriate to generalise the findings on the localisation of function to the typical population, as these are unique case studies where brain damage may have affected the way in which the brain functions and some individuals may be able to process language in other areas of the brain.
For example, some research has suggested that Broca’s area is not solely located in the left hemisphere but is found in the dominant cerebral hemisphere which is commonly found to be opposite to the dominant handedness
ThErefore, suggesting that more research is needed with more diverse samples before firm conclusions on the localisation of language areas are possible.
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However, Lashley conducted research to contradict localisation of function.
LasHféy removed areas of the cortex in rats (between 10 and 50% that were learning a maze. It was foung that no area was more important than any other area in terms of the rats’ ability to learn the maze. The Brocess of learning required all areas of the cortex rather than one specific localised area of the brain.
Therefore, this suggests that a holistic explanation of the brain may be more appropriate than
suggesting the brain is/localised in function.
