Localisation of Function

• Localisation of function


  Theory that states that different areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours, processes or activities.

  
• Motor area


  Back of frontal lobe, involved in regulating movement.

  
• Somatosensory area


  Front of both parietal lobes, processes sensory information such as touch.

  
• Parts of the brain: Visual area.


  Occipital lobe, receives and processes visual information.

  
• Parts of the brain: Auditory area.


  Temporal lobe, analyses speech-based information.

  
• Parts of the brain: Language areas.

  Broca's area, frontal lobe in the left hemisphere = speech production.

  Wernicke's area, temporal lobe in the left hemisphere = language comprehension.

  
• What five things must be used to evaluate localisation of function?


  Brain scan evidence, neurological evidence, case study evidence, Lashley's research and plasticity and the equipotentiality theory.

  
• What is Localisation of Function?


  The principle that specific functions such as language, memory and hearing have specific locations within the brain
• What is Broca's area?


  - in posterior left frontal lobe, believed to be critical for speech production
• What is Wernicke's area?


  - Area of brain involved in understanding language

  - Posterior left temporal lobe
• What does localization of function refer to in the brain?

  It refers to specific regions in the brain having specific jobs.
• What are the key areas of the brain that need to be known for localization of function?

  • Motor cortex
  • Somatosensory cortex
  • Visual cortex
  • Auditory cortex
  • Broca's area
  • Wernicke's area
• What connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain?

  The corpus callosum
• How does the size of the corpus callosum differ between genders?

  Women have a bigger corpus callosum than men.
• What is the role of the motor cortex?

  It is responsible for skilled and voluntary movements.
• Where is the motor cortex located?

  At the posterior of the frontal lobe.
• What does the somatosensory cortex do?

  It interprets incoming sensory information from all five senses.
• Where is the somatosensory cortex located?

  At the anterior end of the parietal lobe.
• What happens to the somatosensory cortex if a person goes blind?


  It may grow and expand as it adapts to new sensory inputs.
• What is the visual cortex responsible for?

  Processing visual information.
• Where is the visual cortex located?

  At the back of the brain.
• How does visual information from the right visual field get processed?

  It is processed in the left visual cortex.
• What is the auditory cortex responsible for?

  Processing acoustic information.
• Where is the auditory cortex located?

  In the temporal lobe.
• What does the case study of Phineas Gage illustrate about localization of function?

  It shows that damage to specific brain areas can affect specific functions.
• What is the equipotentiality theory?

  It suggests that some functions are localized while higher mental functions are not.
• What are the four lobes of the brain and their functions?

  • Frontal lobe: Intellect and creative thought
  • Parietal lobe: Sensory information processing
  • Occipital lobe: Visual processing
  • Temporal lobe: Auditory processing and language
• What are some conditions associated with the visual cortex?

  • Anton syndrome: Cortically blind but unaware
  • Reduplicative paramnesia: Cannot process stationary objects
• What is the main function of Broca's area?

  It is involved in language production.
• What is the main function of Wernicke's area?

  It is involved in language comprehension.
• What does the equipotentiality theory suggest about brain functions?

  It suggests that some functions are localized while higher mental functions are not.
• How does the equipotentiality theory challenge the concept of localization of function?

  It argues that while some basic functions are localized, higher mental functions are interconnected and not localized.
• What is beta bias in the context of brain function theories?

  Beta bias occurs when no clear differences between the sexes are identified in theories of brain function.
• Who are the key figures associated with the case studies supporting localization of function?

  Broca and Wernicke.
• What is the significance of patient Tan in the study of localization of function?

  Patient Tan's case supports the idea of localization, particularly in language production.
• What is a criticism of the localization of function theory regarding biological reductionism?

  It is criticized for being overly simplistic and reducing complex behaviors to biological factors alone.
• Why is the reliance on case studies a limitation for the localization of function theory?

  Case studies often involve small sample sizes, which limits generalizability to the wider population.
• What does hemispheric lateralization refer to?

  It refers to the idea that different hemispheres of the brain are responsible for different functions.
• Which hemisphere is generally responsible for speech production?

  The left hemisphere is generally responsible for speech production.
• How does the concept of contralateral working relate to brain function?

  Contralateral working means that the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and vice versa.