Split-brain Patients

Question 1

what is the surgical procedure that is performed on split-brain patients?

Answer 1

commissurotomy = controls epilepsy, but hinders communication b/w left & right hemisphere

Question 2

what is the experimental procedure used to provide visual information to one hemisphere at a time?

Answer 2

have patient sit at a chair with each eye only seeing one side of a screen that divides the 2 sides

ask patient what they see/draw

Question 3

which hemisphere of the brain speaks?

Answer 3

left

Question 4

which hemisphere draws?

Answer 4

right

Question 5

What are some research areas for split brain patients?

Answer 5

1. sense of self
2. producing facial expressions (only left hem, right side face)

Question 6

Compare the abilities of patients w/ callosal agenisis to adult split-brain patients

Answer 6

develop alternative pathways b/c develop w/o corpus callosum (since birth)

minimal “disconnection syndrome” compared to adult split-brain patients

plasticity in children allow alternative cross-hemispheric pathways to be reinforced

Question 7

Explain the surgical procedure that resulted in split-brain deficits & summarize their abilities (vision & speech)

Answer 7

3 patients seeking relief from epilepsy -> surgery severed corpus callosum (neurons connecting 2 halves of brain)

left brain = language & speech

right brain = motor tasks

Question 8

what is the bow-arrow task? what would be a split-brain patient’s performance on this task? what is the correspondence to the brain?

Answer 8

flash “bow” and “arrow” to each hemisphere -> ask to draw what they saw

draws 2 things on top of each other

each hemisphere takes turn “taking over” the drawing hand

Question 9

what are the implications of split-brain patient research on our understanding of false memory?

Answer 9

snowstorm & shovel (pick from 4 images that relate)

b/c only left hemisphere could talk but not understand what right hemisphere doing = make up story about what it could see