Localisation of function in the Brain

• Who recognized that certain parts of the brain are responsible for specific physical and psychological functions in the 19th century?

  Broca and Wernicke
• How was the brain viewed prior to the 19th century?

  The brain was viewed holistically, with all parts involved in processing thoughts and actions.
• What does the term 'localisation of function' in the brain refer to?

  It refers to the idea that different parts of the brain are involved in different tasks and associated with different behaviors.
• What is lateralisation in the context of brain function?


  Lateralisation refers to psychological and physical functions being controlled or dominated by a particular hemisphere.
• Which hemisphere controls the left side of the body?

  The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body.
• Which hemisphere controls the right side of the body?

  The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body.
• What is the outer layer of the brain called?

  The outer layer is called the cerebral cortex.
• How does the cerebral cortex differentiate humans from animals?

  Humans have a more developed cerebral cortex compared to animals.
• What is the function of the frontal lobe?

  The frontal lobe controls voluntary movement on the opposite side of the body.
• What does the parietal lobe process?

  The parietal lobe processes sensory information from the skin, such as touch, smell, and heat.
• What is the role of the occipital lobe?

  The occipital lobe detects visual fields and sends information to the left or right hemisphere.
• What is the function of the temporal lobe?


  The temporal lobe is responsible for processing speech-based information.
• What happens if Wernicke's area is damaged?

  Damage to Wernicke's area results in impaired speech comprehension.
• Where is Broca's area located?

  Broca's area is mainly located in the frontal lobe.
• What is the function of Broca's area?

  Broca's area is responsible for all speech production.
• What is Broca's Aphasia?

  Broca's Aphasia is characterized by slow and laborious speech production.
• Where is Wernicke's area located?

  Wernicke's area is located at the back of the temporal lobe.
• What is the function of Wernicke's area?


  Wernicke's area is responsible for language understanding.
• The left hemisphere of the brain is responsible for language
• A strength of localisation of function in the brain is that there is brain scan evidence done by Peterson et al where they studied activity of Wernicke's and Broca's area during reading and listening tasks
• the motor cortex is responsible for all voluntary movements and is located within the frontal lobe
• Both hemispheres have a motor cortex with each side controlling opposing sides of the body
• The somatosensory cortex detects sensory information from all over the body, it is located within the parietal lobe 
• • The visual centre is located within the occipital lobe.
  • nerve impulses from the retina travel along the optic nerve to the thalamus
  • passing on this information to the visual cortex.
• Auditory cortex is concerned with hearing and it lies within the temporal lobes in each hemisphere of the brain. 
• What are the two language centres?

  • Broca's area, responsible for speech production, found in the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere.
  • Wernicke's area is responsible for speech understanding and is in the left temporal lobe.
• What is localisation of function?

  • the idea that specific areas of the brain are responsible for different functions
  • activity in the left hand side of the body is controlled by the right hemisphere
• What is hemispherical lateralisation?

  • when a particular hemisphere is responsible for a particular function
  • we say that the function is lateralised
  • e.g. the ability to produce and understand speech is controlled by the left hemisphere
  • Sperry investigated whether other processes may be organised in this way
• What is a spilt brain patient?

  • a person who's brain is split into two halves via the corpus collosum
  • the corpus collosum is a bundle of nerve fibres that connects the two hemispheres
• Outline split brain research

  • split brain participants (had undergone procedure to cure epilepsy) had information presented to one hemisphere at a time
  • when a word was shown to their right visual field it was processed by the left hemisphere - they could say and describe it
  • when shown to left visual field they could not say what was seen but could draw it (no language centre in right hemisphere)