Localisation of function

• Localisation of Function - term for the idea that different parts of the brain are responsible for different functions
• Occipital lobe:

  • visual cortex - back of the the brain, spanning both hemispheres
  • visual info
• Parietal lobe:

  • somatosensory area - top of the brain
  • processes sensory information
• Frontal lobe:

  • motor area, controls movement
  • Broca's area - speech production
• Temporal lobe:

  • auditory/language - underneath of the brain
  • auditory cortex - auditory info received from the cochlea
  • Wernicke's area - language comprehension
• Individual differences

  • differences in peoples' brains - unique patterns of activity, including gender differences in B and W's areas
  • can't make generalising statements on brain functions
• Brain scans

  • used as evidence of increased activity in certain areas of the brain when completing different tasks
  • BUT - measure blood flow not necessarily activity so might not be reliable
• Support for Broca's area

  • case study of Broca's patient Tan who was later found to have a lesion on his brain in 'Broca's area'
  • BUT - can't generalise the results of a case study
  • AND - other studies have found that damage to Broca's area doesn't always result in severe damage - other parts of the brain may also be responsible for speech production
• Reductionist:

  • study found that loss of ability to read is due to the damage of connections between areas of the brain
  • shows damage to connections may cause impairments not just damage to particular areas

  it is too simplistic to say that only one area is responsible for each function