Localisation of function

• Localisation of function - specific areas of the brain are associated with specific cognitive processes
• The motor cortex - generates voluntary motor movements
• The Somatosensory cortex - produces sensations of touch, pressure, pain & temperature which it localises to specific body regions
• Visual centres:

  In the occipital lobe

  Visual processing begins in the retina, nerve impulses are transmitted to the brain via the optic nerve. The majority stop in the thalamus which acts as a relay station to the visual cortex.

  The visual cortex spans both hemispheres, receiving input from the opposite side
• Auditory centres:

  Is in the temporal lobes

  The auditory pathways begin in the cochlea in the inner ear, where sound waves are converted to nerve impulses which travel via the auditory nerve to the brain stem where it’s decoded. It travels to the thalamus which acts as a relay station to the auditory cortex.
• What is the Arcuate Fasciculus?

  A neural loop running between Broca's Area and Wernicke's Area
• Broca’s area - an area in the frontal lobe related to speech production
• Wernicke’s area - an area in the temporal lobe important in the comprehension of language
• Localisation of function evaluation:

  • ❌ Equipotentiality - effects of damage determined by extent not location - some able to regain some of their cognitive abilities after damage to specific areas
  • ❌ Communication > localisation - areas are interdependent so damage to the connection resembles damage to a specific area
  • ✅ Support for language centres - brain damage in Broca’s area causes an inability to produce speech, damage to Wernicke’s area causes an inability to extract meaning from speech
  • ❌ Individual differences
• Localisation of function AO3:

  • ❌ Equipotentiality
  • ❌ Communication > localisation
  • ✅ Support for language centres
  • ❌ Individual differences
• The somatosensory cortex:

  • Produces sensation of touch, pressure, pain & temperature which it localises to specific body regions
  • Both hemispheres have a somatosensory cortex
  • They receive information from opposite sides of the body
• Broca's area:

  • An area in the frontal lobe, related to speech production
  • Broca's area is in the left hemisphere
  • Broca treated a patient Tan who could understand language but couldn't talk or write to express his thoughts
  • In 2012, two regions were discovered : one for language, one for demanding cognitive tasks
• Wernicke's area:

  • An area in the temporal lobe related to the comprehension of language
  • Wernicke's area is in the left hemisphere