Localisation of function in the brain

• Who was Paul Broca?


  Paul Broca was a French physician known for his research in Broca's area.
• What is Broca's area associated with?


  Broca's area is associated with speech production.
• What is aphasia?

  Aphasia is a language disorder caused by damage to the brain.
• How does the localisation of function theory differ from the holistic theory of the brain?


  Localisation of function theory states specific areas of the brain are responsible for different functions, while holistic theory suggests all parts are involved.
• Where is the visual cortex located?


  The visual cortex is located in the occipital lobe.
• What types of visual information does the visual cortex process?


  The visual cortex processes colour, shape, and movement.
• How does damage to the left hemisphere of the visual cortex affect vision?


  Damage to the left hemisphere can produce blindness in part of the right visual field in both eyes.
• Where is the auditory cortex located?


  The auditory cortex is located within the temporal lobes on both sides of the brain.
• What does the auditory cortex process?


  The auditory cortex processes sound-based information such as pitch and volume.
• What happens if there is damage to the auditory cortex?


  Damage may produce hearing loss, with more extensive damage leading to more extensive loss.
• What is the role of the motor cortex?


  The motor cortex is responsible for voluntary motor movements.
• Where is the motor cortex located?


  The motor cortex is located in the frontal lobe along the precentral gyrus.
• How does the motor cortex control body movements?


  The motor cortex on one side of the brain controls muscles on the opposite side of the body.
• What is the somatosensory cortex responsible for?


  The somatosensory cortex detects sensory events from different regions of the body.
• Where is the somatosensory cortex located?


  The somatosensory cortex is located in the parietal lobe along the postcentral gyrus.
• What sensations does the somatosensory cortex produce?


  The somatosensory cortex produces sensations of touch, pressure, pain, and heat.
• How does damage to the somatosensory cortex affect sensitivity?


  Damage results in decreased sensitivity, such as the inability to identify objects by touch.
• What is Broca's area critical for?


  Broca's area is critical for speech production.
• Where is Broca's area located?


  Broca's area is located in the posterior portion of the left frontal lobe.
• What is Broca's aphasia?


  Broca's aphasia is characterized by slow, laborious speech that lacks fluency.
• Who studied Wernicke's area?


  Wernicke studied patients with difficulties understanding language.
• What is Wernicke's area responsible for?


  Wernicke's area is responsible for language comprehension.
• What happens if there is damage to Wernicke's area?


  Damage results in Wernicke's aphasia, where patients produce fluent but meaningless speech.
• What evidence supports the localisation of function theory?


  Evidence includes brain scans showing activity in specific areas during tasks.
• What did Peterson et al. (1998) demonstrate?


  Peterson et al. demonstrated that Wernicke's area is active during listening tasks and Broca's area during reading tasks.
• Why is Peterson et al.'s research considered empirical?


  It provides objective evidence from brain scans showing different areas of the brain active during tasks.
• What is the significance of Broca's case study of Tan?


  Broca's case study of Tan supports localisation of function by showing damage to a specific area affects speech production.
• What did Broca find in his autopsy of Tan's brain?


  Broca found substantial damage to an area towards the base of the frontal lobe.
• What did Broca conclude from his studies of patients like Tan?


  Broca concluded that the area he studied was responsible for speech production.
• What does the case study of Phineas Gage suggest about the frontal lobe?


  The case study suggests that the frontal lobe may be responsible for regulating mood.
• What happened to Phineas Gage after his accident?


  His personality changed from calm to quick-tempered and rude.
• What is a methodological issue with case studies?


  Case studies are often unrepresentative of the general population.
• What limitation does Lashley's research present to the localisation of function theory?


  Lashley's research suggests that learning may require the whole cortex rather than specific areas.
• Why is extrapolation a limitation in Lashley's work?


  Extrapolation is a limitation because findings from rats may not apply to humans.
• What is the overall conclusion regarding brain localisation theory?


  Specific areas of the brain are involved in controlling certain behaviours, even if not solely responsible.
• What are the main areas of the brain involved in localisation of function?

  • Broca's area: Speech production
  • Wernicke's area: Language comprehension
  • Visual cortex: Visual information processing
  • Auditory cortex: Hearing and auditory information
  • Motor cortex: Voluntary movements
  • Somatosensory cortex: Sensory information
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of case studies in supporting brain localisation theory?


  Strengths:

  • Provide detailed insights into specific brain functions
  • Support from multiple case studies (e.g., Tan, Phineas Gage)

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Unrepresentative of the general population
  • Limited generalizability to other individuals
• What are the types of evidence supporting and contradicting brain localisation theory?


  Supporting evidence:

  • Brain scans (e.g., Peterson et al.)
  • Case studies (e.g., Tan, Phineas Gage)

  
  

  Contradicting evidence:

  • Lashley's research on rats
  • Issues with extrapolation to humans
• The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is located at the anterior end of the frontal lobe.
• The PFC has been implicated in various cognitive functions such as decision-making, working memory, attention, planning, and problem solving.