Topic 6- Laterisation & Split Brain Rs

Question 1

PEEL 1
Amount of patients are rare

Answer 1

P- split brain rs has limitations as patients who’ve had procedure is rare.
E- The procedure is rarely carried out and many studies only include a small sample or one person.
E-These patients may have underlying physical disorders (epilepsy). Or could have some intact nerve fibres remaining.
L- Meaning the result of studies aren’t always replicable so can’t draw general conclusions from this.

Question 2

PEEL 2
Language not restricted to left hemisphere

Answer 2

P- Another limitation could be language may not be restricted to the left hemisphere but differs between individuals.
E- Right handed people generally develop their language centres in the left hemisphere, but left handed people may have it on either side or both.
E-Neurosurgeons find out which hemisphere is dominant and contains language centres in a patient before carrying out treatments like ECT to minimise cognitive side effects.
L- Meaning we shouldn’t generalise/ make assumptions about the lateralisation of language centres in individuals.

Question 3

PEEL 3
Patient J.W

Answer 3

P- Split brain patients may develop new abilities.
E- E.G a patient known as J.W developed the capacity to speak about info presented to the other hemisphere.
E- Showing his lateralisation wasn’t fixed.
L- Suggesting the idea that lateralisation is determined by use and the brain can adapt to new requirements.