Localisation of function Flashcards
What is localisation of function
Each specific area of the brain is associated with particular functions/behaviours
What is the motor cortex?
It is located at the back of the frontal love, controls movement of the opposite side of the body
What is the somatosensory cortex
It is at the front of both parietal lobes, where sensory information from the skin is processed
What is the visual cortex
In the occipital lobe. Each eye sends information from the right visual field to the left visual cortex and vice versa.
(Damage to the left hemisphere can cause blindness to the right visual field of BOTH eyes)
What is the auditory cortex
In the temporal lobe, analyses spoken/speech based information.
(Damage may produce partial hearing loss)
What is Broca’s area
Area in the left frontal lobe, responsible for language comprehension.
(Damage would cause Brocas Aphasia, which prevents a person from speaking fluently. > Brocas patient can only say ‘Tan’)
What is Wernickes area
In the left temporal lobe, responsible for language comprehension.
(Damage leads to Wernickes aphasia, where a person would say nonsense words)
What is hemispheric lateralisation
Each hemisphere has a particular function
AO3: Strength of localisation theory
- Brain scans
- Steven Peterson at al. used brain scans to demonstrate how the Wernickes area was active during a listening task and Broca’s area was active during a reading task
- Confirms localised areas for everyday behaviours
- Scientific evidence increases validity
AO3: Weakness of localisation theory
- Language may not just be localised just to Broa’s and Wernicke’s area
- Recent review found that only 2% of modern researchers think that language in their brain is completely controlled by Brocas and Wernickes area
- Language streams have been identified across the cortex
- Language is organised more holistically in the brain, contradicts the theory
AO3: Weakness of localisation theory
- Theories of localisation are biologically reductionist in nature
- They try to reduce very complex human behaviours and cognitive processes to one specific brain region.
- A more thorough understanding of the brain is required to truly understand complex cognitive processes like language.
AO3: Strength of localisation theory
- There is a wealth of case studies on patients with damage to Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas that have demonstrated their functions.
- For example, Broca’s aphasia is an impaired ability to produce language; in most cases, this is caused by brain damage in Broca’s area.
- Wernicke’s aphasia is an impairment of language perception, demonstrating the important role played by this brain region in the comprehension of language.