Localisation of Function in The Brain

Question 1

What are the different areas of the brain?

Answer 1

Broca’s area
Wernickes’s area
Auditory area
Somatosensory area
Visual area

Question 2

What are the different lobes of the brain?

Answer 2

Frontal lobe (front of brain)
Temporal lobe (behind ears)
Parietal lobe (top of brain)
Occipital lobe (back of brain)

Question 3

What is the function of the cerebellum?

Answer 3

Supports movement, deals with coordination, balance and fine movements.

Question 4

What is meant by localisation?

Answer 4

The idea that different areas of the brain are responsible for different functions.

Question 5

What is the outer layer of the brain called?

Answer 5

Cerebral cortex.

Question 6

What is the function of the motor area and where is it located?

Answer 6

Controls voluntary movement.
Located in the frontal lobe.

Question 7

What does damage to the motor area result in?

Answer 7

An inability to control voluntary movement.

Question 8

What is the function of Broca’s area and where is it located?

Answer 8

Produces speech + involved in thinking, planning and social functioning.
Frontal lobe

Question 9

What does damage to the Broca’s area result in?

Answer 9

Broca’s aphasia.
Difficulty forming complete sentences.
Limited language - slow laborious speech.

Question 10

What is the function of Wernicke’s area and where is it located?

Answer 10

Responsible for speech comprehension and language processing.
Temporal lobe.

Question 11

What is the function of the auditory area and where is it located?

Answer 11

Responsible for processing auditory info + speech.
Temporal lobe.

Question 12

What does damage to Wernicke’s area result in?

Answer 12

Wernicke’s aphasia.
Poor understanding of speech, no issues with pronunciation but unawareness of using incorrect words.

Question 13

What does damage to the auditory area result in?

Answer 13

Possibly hearing loss, damage to wernicke’s area causes poor understanding of speech.

Question 14

What is the function of the somatosensory area and where is it located?

Answer 14

Processes sensory info + sensation.
Parietal lobe.

Question 15

What does damage to the somatosensory area result in?

Answer 15

Numbness in some parts of the body.

Question 16

What is the function of the visual area and where is it located?

Answer 16

Processes visual info.
Occipital lobe.

Question 17

What does damage to the visual area result in?

Answer 17

Damages visual awareness and can result in chronic blindness.

Question 18

What is one strength of localisation of function?

Answer 18

Research support
Peterson et al - demonstrated Wernicke’s area was active during a listening task - Broca’s area active during reading task (used brain scans). Everyday brain functions are localised.
Objective methods used increases credibility of localisation.

Question 19

What are 2 weaknesses of localisation of function?

Answer 19

1. Research against (stroke patients)
   Research shows the brain can redistribute functions from damaged to undamaged areas.
   According to localisation, functions shouldn’t be redistributed.
   Localisation is therefore a strict theory.
2. Complexity
   No part of the brain can work independently of the other.
   Dejerine - found a patient lost their ability to read after a connection between their Wernicke’s area and Broca’s area was damaged.
   Functions aren’t strictly localised but communicate with one another.