Localisation of Function

Question 1

What was the idea before localisation of function?

Answer 1

Holistic theory - that all parts of the brain were involved in processing thoughts and actions.

Question 2

How was the holistic theory discarded?

Answer 2

Because in time, specific areas of the brains were linked with specific physical and psychological functions (localisation).

Eg if an area of the brain is damaged through injury, the function associated with that area is also affected.

Question 3

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 3

The outer layer of the brain. Around 3mm thick and separates us from lower animals as it’s highly developed.

Question 4

The cortex of both hemisphere is divided into four lobes…

Answer 4

Frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal.

Question 5

Outline the function of the motor area.

Answer 5

Controls voluntary movement. So damage may result in loss of control over fine motor movements.

Question 6

Where is the motor area located?

Answer 6

Back of the frontal lobe.

Question 7

Outline the function of the somatosensory cortex?

Answer 7

Processes sensory info from the skin (heat, touch, pressure).
The amount of somatosensory area devoted to a particular body part denotes its sensitivity.

Question 8

Where is the somatosensory area located?

Answer 8

Back of parietal lobes.

Question 9

Outline the function of the visual area.

Answer 9

Each eye sends info from the right visual field -> left visual cortex and vice versa.
So damage to left hemisphere can produce blindness in the right visual field of both eyes.

Question 10

Where is the visual area located?

Answer 10

In the occipital lobe in back of brain.

Question 11

Outline the auditory area.

Answer 11

Analyses speech based info.

Damage may produce partial hearing loss, and the more extensive the damage, the more serious the loss.

Question 12

Where is the auditory area located?

Answer 12

In the temporal lobe.

Question 13

Where is Broca’s area found?

Answer 13

Left frontal lobe.

Question 14

Outline Broca’s area.

Answer 14

Speech production.

Damage to this area causes Broca’s aphasia which is characterised by speech which is slow, laborious and lacking fluency. They may have difficulty finding certain words and naming certain objects.

May have difficulty with words eg ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘and’.

Question 15

Where is Wernicke’s area located?

Answer 15

Back of the temporal lobe.

Question 16

Outline Wernicke’s area.

Answer 16

Language comprehension.

Patients produce language but have problems understanding it, so produce fluent, meaningless speech ‘word salad’.
Those with Wernicke’s aphasia often produce neologisms (nonsense words) along with their speech.