Localisation of Function in the Brain

• What is the weight of the human brain mentioned?

  1.4 kilograms
• What does the brain allow us to do?

  Move, remember, plan, and understand
• What is localization of function in the brain?

  Behavioral functions are localized to brain regions
• 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
• Which hemisphere is Broca's area generally located in?

  Left hemisphere
• What is contralateral processing in the brain?

  Right hemisphere controls left body side
• What is the thickness of the cortex in humans?

  Between 2 and 4 millimeters
• What is the visual cortex responsible for?

  Visual processing
• What happens if the visual cortex is damaged?

  Can cause partial or complete blindness
• Where is the motor cortex located?

  In the frontal lobe
• What does damage to the motor cortex lead to?

  Loss of fine muscle function or paralysis
• What does the somatosensory cortex detect?

  Sensations from the opposite side of the body
• What is neglect syndrome?

  Ignoring areas of the body
• What is agnosia?

  Inability to recognize objects by feeling
• Where is the auditory cortex located?

  Top of the temporal lobe
• What can damage to the auditory cortex lead to?

  Deafness
• What is Broca's area responsible for?

  Speech production
• What is Broca's aphasia?

  Difficulty in producing fluent speech
• What is Wernicke's area associated with?

  Understanding speech
• What is Wernicke's aphasia?

  Difficulty in understanding language
• What happens when both Broca's and Wernicke's areas are damaged?

  Inability to produce or understand speech
• What do clinical case studies suggest about localization of function?

  • Specific brain areas are responsible for functions
  • Damage leads to loss of specific abilities
  • Supports the idea of localization
• What did recent MRI scans of Tan's brain reveal?

  Damage beyond Broca's area
• How do modern studies using fMRI contribute to localization of function?

  Show some functions are more localized
• What did Lashley's 1925 study suggest about brain functions?

  Functions are spread out across the brain
• What is hemispheric lateralization?

  • Different functions are processed in each hemisphere
  • Motor and sensory cortices map body areas
  • Areas vary in size based on information processing needs
• What is the appearance of white matter in the brain?

  White appearance due to myelinated axons
• What does the term "cortex" refer to?

  Thin outer layer of the brain
• What is the significance of the sensory homunculus?

  It represents body area sensory processing needs
• Why do some body areas take up more space in the sensory homunculus?

  More sensory information processing is needed
• What is the primary function of the occipital lobe?

  Visual processing
• What is cortical blindness?

  Blindness due to damage in the visual cortex
• What is the role of the central sulcus?

  Separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe
• What is the function of the frontal lobe?

  Involved in planning and voluntary movements
• What is the function of the parietal lobe?

  Processes sensory information
• What is the function of the temporal lobe?

  Processes auditory information
• What is the function of the occipital lobe?

  Processes visual information
• What is the role of the auditory cortex?

  Processes sound sensations
• What is the role of the somatosensory cortex?

  Processes sensory information from the body
• What is the role of the motor cortex?

  Plans and executes voluntary movements