Localisation

• Localisation - the idea that certain functions have certain locations or areas within the brain
• Each hemisphere of the brain is divided into 4 lobe :

  • Frontal lobe
  • Parietal lobe
  • Occipital lobe
  • Temporal lobe
• Frontal lobe - personality, problem solving, skilled movement, emotional reaction; motor cortex, broca's area (on the left)
• Parietal lobe - senses, language, perception, propioception; somatosensory cortex
• Occipital lobe - visual information; visual cortex
• Temporal lobe - musical, memories, fear; auditory cortex, wernicke's area (on the left)
• Motor cortex - responsible for generating voluntary motor movements; works contralaterally, meaning the top part of the cortex stimulates movements in the lower body and the lower part of the cortex stimulates the upper body
• Somatosensory cortex - responsible for interpreting incoming sensory information
• Visual cortex - Responsible for processing visual information; information from the right visual field is processed in the left hemisphere and information from the left visual field is processed in the right hemisphere
• Auditory cortex - Responsible for analysing and processing acoustic information; information from the left ear goes primarily to the right hemisphere and information from the right ear goes primarily to the left hemisphere
• Contralateral - on, pertaining to or affecting the opposite side of the body
• Somatotopically - when a specific part of the body is associated with a distinct location in the central nervous system
• Cerebellum - basic movement, hunger, all the things humans have always had to do
• Robertson (1995) - found that the somatosensory cortex is highly adaptable; found that braille readers have larger areas in the somatosensory area for their fingertips than normal sighted participants
• Phineas Gage - worked on the railway; metal pole blew through his head when working; went through the frontal lobe; reported changes in behaviour such as aggression
• Lashley (1930) - equipotentiality theory : basic motor and sensory functions are localised but higher mental functions not localised