Localisation of function

• What is the weight of the human brain mentioned in the study material?


  1. 4 kilograms
• What does the term "localization of function" refer to in the brain?


  It refers to specific behavioral functions being localized to particular regions of the brain.
• Which areas of the brain are primarily associated with language production and understanding?

  Broca's area and Wernicke's area
• What are the six regions of the brain that demonstrate localization of function?


  • Visual cortex
  • Motor cortex
  • Somatosensory cortex
  • Auditory cortex
  • Broca's area
  • Wernicke's area
• What is the significance of the left hemisphere in relation to Broca's and Wernicke's areas?


  They are generally located in the left hemisphere and are responsible for language production and understanding.
• How do the functions of the left and right hemispheres differ?


  The left hemisphere is dominant in language functions, while the right hemisphere is dominant in visual-spatial functions.
• What does "contralateral" mean in the context of brain function?


  It means that one hemisphere of the brain controls and senses the opposite side of the body.
• What is the thickness of the cortex in humans?


  Between 2 and 4 millimeters
• What is the primary function of the visual cortex?


  It is responsible for visual processing.
• What can damage to the visual cortex cause?


  It can cause partial or complete blindness, known as cortical blindness.
• Where is the motor cortex located?


  In the frontal lobe of the brain.
• What is the function of the somatosensory cortex?


  It detects sensations from the opposite side of the body.
• What is neglect syndrome?


  It is the loss of awareness of one side of the body due to damage in the somatosensory cortex.
• What is Broca's area responsible for?


  It is responsible for speech production.
• What happens when Broca's area is damaged?


  It leads to Broca's aphasia, characterized by difficulty in producing fluent speech.
• What is Wernicke's area associated with?


  It is associated with understanding spoken and written language.
• What occurs when Wernicke's area is damaged?


  It leads to Wernicke's aphasia, characterized by difficulty in understanding language.
• What are the limitations of localization of function research?


  • Damage may affect areas beyond the localized regions.
  • Language processing may involve more distributed brain areas.
  • Complex functions like personality and consciousness may not be fully localized.
• What did Lashley's 1925 study suggest about brain function?


  It suggested that memory functions are spread out across the entire brain rather than localized.
• What is the term used for the outer layer of the brain?

  Cortex
• What is the difference between grey matter and white matter in the brain?


  Grey matter consists mostly of cell bodies, while white matter consists mostly of myelinated axons.
• What is hemispheric lateralization?


  • Different functions are specialized in each hemisphere.
  • The left hemisphere is dominant for language.
  • The right hemisphere is dominant for visual-spatial tasks.
• What does the sensory homunculus represent?


  It represents the amount of sensory processing dedicated to different body parts in the brain.
• What is the nickname of the patient studied by Broca?


  Tan
• What is the significance of the case study of Tan in relation to Broca's area?


  It provided evidence that Broca's area is crucial for speech production.
• What is the role of fMRI in studying brain functions?


  It allows researchers to observe brain activity during language processing tasks.
• How does the complexity of the language system challenge the idea of localization of function?


  It suggests that language processing involves multiple interconnected areas rather than being strictly localized.
• What is the relationship between the motor cortex and voluntary movements?


  The motor cortex plans and carries out voluntary motor movements on the opposite side of the body.
• What is agnosia in relation to the somatosensory cortex?


  Agnosia is the inability to recognize objects by feeling them due to damage in the somatosensory cortex.
• What is the primary function of the auditory cortex?


  It receives auditory sensations from the ears.
• What can damage to the auditory cortex lead to?


  It can lead to deafness.
• What is the role of the central sulcus in the brain?


  It separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe.
• What is the significance of the post-mortem studies of patients like Tan and others?


  They provide evidence for the localization of specific functions in the brain.
• What does the term "expressive aphasia" refer to?


  It refers to difficulty in producing fluent speech due to damage in Broca's area.
• What does "receptive aphasia" refer to?


  It refers to difficulty in understanding spoken or written language due to damage in Wernicke's area.
• What is the impact of damage to both Broca's and Wernicke's areas?


  It can lead to global aphasia, the inability to produce or understand speech.
• What is the role of modern scientific research in understanding brain functions?


  It provides insights into the complexity and distribution of brain functions beyond simple localization.
• What is the significance of the sensory homunculus model?


  It illustrates how different body parts require varying amounts of sensory processing in the brain.
• How does the study of split-brain patients contribute to our understanding of brain function?


  It provides evidence for the lateralization of brain functions and the specialization of each hemisphere.
• What is the relationship between brain damage and functional abilities?


  Damage to specific brain areas can lead to the loss of corresponding functional abilities.