localisation of function Flashcards
the motor cortex is located where
in the frontal lobe of the brain, along the bumpy region known as the precentral gyrus. Both hemispheres have a motor cortex, with one side of the brain controlling the muscles on the opposite side of the body.
what is the somatosensory cortex
detects sensory events arising from different regions of the body. It is localised in the parietal lobe of the Brain, along with the region known as the post central gyrus.
where is the primary visual centre of the Brain located
in the visual cortex, in the occipital lobe of the brain. However, visual processing actually begins in the retina at the back of the eye, where the light enters and strikes the photoreceptors.
how is the visual information transferred to the visual cortex
Nerve impulses from the retina are transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve. Some nerve impulses from the retina travel to areas of the brain involved in the coordination of circadian rhythms, but the majority terminate in an area of the brain called the thalamus, passing the information to the visual cortex
are there different areas in the visual cortex
yes
There are several different areas, with each of these areas processing different types of visual information, such as colour, shape or movement
where does the auditory centre lie within the brain
within the temporal lobes on both sides of the brain, where we find the auditory cortex. The auditory pathways begin in the cochlea in the inner ear, where sound waves are converted to nerve impulses, which travel via the auditory nerve to the auditory cortex.
what is the pathway for auditory information being travelled from the inner ear to the auditory cortex
from the cochlea to the brain, the first stop is the brain stem. Within the brain stem a basic decoding takes place, for example the duration of intensity of a sound. The next stop of in the thalamus, which acts as a relay station and also carries out further processing to the auditory stimulus.
Finally the last stop is to the auditory cortex, which results in an appropriate response.
what are the two language centres within the brain
brocas area
wernicks area
what is the brooks area of the brain
an area of the frontal lobe of the brain, usually the left hemisphere, related to speech production.
what was later developed about the broca’s area by neuroscientists
that one area is selectively involved in language, and another involved in responding to many demanding cognitive tasks.
what is the wernicks area
an area in the temporal lobe of the brain important in the comprehension of language.
what is the strengths of localisation of function
Evidence to support the different functions of the brocas area and wernicks area comes from the discovery that damage to these different areas results in different types of aphasia.
Expressive aphasia is referred to the inability to produce speech as a result of Brian damage (brocas area)
Receptive aphasia is referred to the inability to understand language, and an inability to extract meaning from spoken or written words. (wernicks area)
what is a criticism of localisation of function
The claim that functions are localised to certain areas of the brain has been criticised. Lashley proposed the equipotentiality theory, which suggests that the basic motor and sensory functions are localised, but that higher mental functions are not.
what is an experiment that does not support Brocas area being the only area responsible for speech
Dronkers et al. (2007) conducted an MRI scan on Tan’s brain, to try to confirm Broca’s findings. Although there was a lesion found in Broca’s area, they also found evidence to suggest other areas may have contributed to the failure in speech production.
