Localisation

• Motor cortex- a region of the brain responsible for the generation of voluntary motor movements
• Somatosensory-region of the brain that processes input from sensory receptors in the body that are sensitive to touch.
• Visual cortex - processes information from the eyes
• Auditory cortex - process information from the ears
• Broca’s area - located in the posterior portion of frontal lobe related to speech production
• Wernicke's area - a region in the temporal lobe important for the comprehension of language.
• It is now known that Broca's and Wernicke's area are connected by the arcuate fasciculus running between th
• Equipotentiality theory- Some researchers have challenged the view that brain functions are localised to certain areas of the brain. E.g equipotentiality theory suggests that basic motor and sensory functions are localised, but more complex mental functions are not
• The cerebellum is involved with coordination of movement and balance
• Equipotentiality theory


  also suggests that intact areas of thealso suggests that intact areas of the

  cortex could take over responsibility for specific cognitive functions following injury to the area

  that is normally responsible for that functio
• Communication may be more important than localisation


  localisation of brain function may be a limited explanation for the brain because it's looking at

  the wrong part of brain activity e.g location rather than communication. Wernicke claimed that although different regions of the brain had specialist functions, they are interdependent in the sense that in order to work they must interact with each other
• Hemispherectomy - surgical removal of one half of the brain
• Aphasia impairments


  Evidence that supports the different functions of the Brocas and Wernicke's area comes fromEvidence that supports the different functions of the Brocas and Wernicke's area comes from

  the discovery that damage to these different areas of the brain causes different types of

  aphasia. Aphasia is the inability to produce or comprehend speech.
• Expressive aphasia is an impaired ability to produce language and is caused by brain damage

  to the Broca's area which is responsible for speech production
• Receptive aphasia is the loss of ability to understand language and extract meaning

  from words. This form of aphasia is the result of damage to the wernicke's area which

  demonstrates its role in the comprehension of language.