Localisation

• What does localisation theory suggest about the brain?


  It suggests that certain areas of the brain are responsible for specific processes, behaviours, and attitudes.
• What is the role of the motor area in the brain?


  The motor area regulates and coordinates fine movements.
• What happens when there are lesions or damage in the motor area?

  It results in an inability to control voluntary fine movements.
• Where is the visual area located?


  In the temporal lobe, specifically parts of the superior temporal gyrus.
• What is the function of the visual area?


  It is responsible for processing visual information and speech.
• What are the consequences of lesions in the visual area?


  They cause hearing loss.
• What does the somatosensory area process?


  It processes information associated with touch, pressure, temperature, and pain.
• What happens when there are lesions in the somatosensory area?


  They result in loss of specific senses, such as touch and temperature.
• How does the somatosensory area receive input?


  It receives input directly from specific nuclei of the thalamus related to sensation.
• What is Wernicke's Area responsible for?


  It is responsible for speech comprehension.
• Where is Wernicke's Area located?


  In the left temporal lobe for most people.
• What are the effects of lesions in Wernicke's Area?


  They result in senseless aphasia, characterized by nonsensical words and trouble recognizing incoming words.
• What is Broca's Area responsible for?


  It is responsible for speech production.
• Where is Broca's Area usually located?


  In the left hemisphere of the frontal lobe.
• What happens when there are lesions in Broca's Area?


  They result in Broca's aphasia, characterized by difficulty forming complete sentences and understanding them.
• What is the overall function of the left hemisphere of the brain?


  It is associated with language production and comprehension.
• What does hemispheric lateralisation refer to?


  It refers to cognitive abilities that are demonstrated and lateralized from the hemispheres.
• What evidence supports the localisation of brain function?


  Brain-imaging scans show that semantic memories are located in the left prefrontal cortex and episodic memories in the right prefrontal cortex.
• What did Petresson et al (1998) find regarding Wernicke's and Broca's areas?


  Wernicke's area is responsible for speech listening, while Broca's area is required for reading tasks.
• Who was Phineas Gage?


  He was a patient who suffered a brain injury that affected his prefrontal cortex.
• What was the result of Phineas Gage's injury?


  It led to a defect in rational decision-making and processing of emotion.
• What do case studies like Phineas Gage demonstrate about brain function?


  They show that some areas of the brain are responsible for specific functions.
• What is a contradictory theory to localisation theory?


  A holistic view suggests that each function requires several areas to be activated.
• What does the holistic view of brain function imply?


  It implies that advanced cognitive ability is less restricted to certain areas of the brain.
• What did Dougherty et al (2002) study regarding OCD?


  They studied 44 OCD sufferers who underwent cingulotomy to control their symptoms.
• What was the outcome of Dougherty et al's study on OCD patients?


  71% to 75% of participants showed significant improvement after treatment.
• What does the study by Dougherty et al suggest about brain function and OCD?


  It suggests that understanding certain brain areas can lead to advanced treatments for OCD.
• What are the main areas of the brain involved in localisation theory?


  • Motor area: regulates fine movements
  • Visual area: processes visual information and speech
  • Somatosensory area: processes touch, pressure, temperature, and pain
  • Wernicke's Area: responsible for speech comprehension
  • Broca's Area: responsible for speech production
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of using case studies in brain function research?

  Strengths:

  • Provide detailed insights into brain function
  • Show effects of specific brain injuries

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Lack of control over confounding variables
  • Subjectivity in conclusions
  • Unusual sample sizes