Localisation of Brain Function

• What is localisation theory?


  The idea that certain functions have certain locations or areas within the brain
• What is holistic theory?

  All parts of the brain are involved in the processing of thought and action
• What side of the body does the left side of the brain control?

  right
• What does hemispheric lateralisation mean?

  physical and psychological functions are controlled/ dominated by a particular hemisphere
• What is the cerebral cortex?

  outer layer of the cerebrum made of grey matter
• What are the four lobes?

  frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal
• What is the function of the frontal lobe?

  involved in speech, movement, thought and learning
• What is the function of the temporal lobe?

  involved in auditory/ hearing ability and memory acquisition
• what is the function of the occipital lobe?

  processes visual info
• What is the function of the parietal lobe?

  processes sensory info: touch, temp and pressure
• What are the areas of the brain?

  motor, somatosensory, visual, auditory
• Where is the motor area?

  back of the frontal lobe
• What is the motor area responsible for?

  controlling voluntary movement
• What can injury to the motor area lead to?

  loss of muscle function or paralysis
• What hemisphere is the motor area in?

  Both (control opposite sides of the body)
• Where is the somatosensory area?

  front of the parietal lobe
• What is the function of the somatosensory area?

  processes sensory information from the skin. proportion of the area to a part of the body denotes its sensitivity.
• Which hemisphere is the somatosensory area in?

  Both
• Where is the visual area?

  Occipital lobe
• What is the function of the visual area?

  receives and processes visual information
• What can damage to the visual area lead to?

  Cortical blindness, damage to one cortex impacts the opposing visual field
• Which hemisphere is the visual area in?

  Both (controls opposing visual fields)
• Where is the auditory area?

  Temporal lobe
• What is the function of the auditory area?


  analyse, interpret and process acoustic information
• What can damage to the auditory area lead to?

  partial hearing loss. The more extensive the damage, the more extensive the loss
• Which hemisphere is the auditory area in?

  Both
• Where is Broca's area?

  left frontal lobe
• What is Broca's area responsible for?

  Speech production
• What can damage to Broca's area lead to?

  Broca's aphasia: slow, laborious speech that lacks fluency
• Where is Wernicke's area?

  Left temporal lobe
• What is Wernicke's area responsible for?

  language comprehension
• What can damage to Wernicke's area lead to?

  Wernicke's aphasia: impaired ability to grasp the meaning of spoken words and sentences
• Strengths of localisation of Brain function

  • evidence from neurosurgery
  • brain scan evidence
  • case study evidence
• Limitations of localisation theory

  • high cognitive processes are not localised
• Areas of the brain

  A) Motor area

  B) voluntary movement

  C) opposite

  D) Somatosensory cortex

  E) senses

  F) Auditory area

  G) Visual cortex