Hemispheric lateralisation

• What is hemispheric lateralisation?

  The idea that each hemisphere is responsible for different functions. Each of these functions is localised to either the right or left side
• What is left hemisphere associated with?

  Language functions e.g. formulating grammar or vocab
• What is the right hemisphere associated with?

  Visuospatial functions e.g. visualisation, depth perception and spatial navigation
• How are the two hemispheres connected?

  Hemispheres are connected through a bundle of nerve fibres the corpus collosum which facilitates interhemispheric communication
• What is split brain research?

  A series of studies which began in the 1960s involving ppl with epilepsy who had experienced a surgical separation of the hemispheres of their brain to reduce the severity of their epilepsy

  -> this enabled researchers to test lateral functions of the brain in isolation
• Who are the key researchers in spilt-brain research?

  Sperry
• What were the procedures of Sperry's research?

  Image was projected to 11 split-brain operation patients left visual field or right visual field

  In normal brain the corpus callosum would immediately share the info b/w both hemispheres but in split-brain patients information presented to one hemisphere could not be conveyed to the other information
• What were the findings of Sperry's research?

  Found that objects presented to the right visual field could be described using language, as it is processed in the left hemisphere.

  Objects presented to the left visual field could not because the right hemisphere has no language centres