Localisation of function Flashcards
What is localisation of function?
Specific functions such as movement, speech and memory are performed in distinct regions of the brain (localised)
What is the opposite view of localisation of function?
The opposite view is that the brain acts holistically to perform functions
What are the two halves that the brain is divided into called?
The left and right hemisphere
What is the outer layer of both hemispheres called?
The outer layer of both hemispheres is called the cerebral cortex, a 3mm layer covering the inner parts of the brain
What is the cerebral cortex?
Surface layer of the brain referred to as grey matter (contains mostly cell bodies), 2-4mm thick and folded for extra surface area for processing. White matter in the brain is mostly myelinated axons
What is the occipital lobe?
The brains visual processing centre, each hemispheres occipital lobe receives information from the contralateral visual field
What could damage to the occipital lobe cause?
Leads to partial or complete loss of vision called cortical blindness. Damage to one cortex can lead to loss of vision in the opposite visual field
What lobe is the motor cortex in?
The motor cortex is at the back of the frontal lobe
What is the motor cortex?
Area of the brain responsible for voluntary motor movements (eg. deciding to move your arm). Contralateral
What could damage to the motor cortex cause?
Injuring the motor cortex results in the loss of muscle function or after severe trauma, paralysis. This occurs on the opposite side of the body to the damage due to contralaterality
What lobe is the somatosensory cortex in?
The somatosensory cortex is at the front of the parietal lobe
What is the somatosensory cortex?
Area of the brain responsible for receiving sense impressions from around the body. Contralateral
What could damage to the somatosensory cortex cause?
Loss of sensation, ignoring areas of the body (neglect syndrome), loss of ability in recognising objects by their feel (agnosia). Effects opposite side to damage (contralateral)
What lobe is the auditory cortex in?
The temporal lobe
What is the auditory cortex?
Receives and processes sound information from ears. Located in both hemispheres, located at the top of the temporal lobe
What could damage to the auditory cortex cause?
Receives and processes sound information from ears. Located in both hemispheres, located at the top of the temporal lobe
What can damage to the auditory cortex cause?
Trauma to the auditory cortex can lead to cortical deafness. Patient is unable to hear, but no damage to the structure of the ear
What lobe is Broca’s area in?
The left frontal lobe
What is Broca’s area?
Broca’s area is responsible for speech production
How was the function of Broca’s area discovered?
Discovered after case study and post mortem of Tan
What can damage to Broca’s area cause?
Broca’s aphasia (also known as expressive/motor aphasia). Difficulty producing fluent speech, speech is slow and effortful. Speech has missing words leading to poor grammar
What lobe is Wernicke’s area in?
The top of the temporal lobe
What is Wernicke’s area?
Wernicke’s area is responsible for speech comprehension
How was the function of Wernicke’s area discovered?
Discovered after case studies of individuals who could produce fluent sounding speech that made little sense
What can damage to Wernicke’s area cause?
Wernicke’s aphasia. Difficulty understanding speech or written language, speech sounds fluent but lacks meaning/ nonsense words.
What is damage to both Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area?
Global aphasia, the inability to produce or understand speech
