Localisation of Function in the Brain

• Localisation of function - specific areas of the brain are specialised for certain functions.
• Brain Areas:

  > Auditory Cortex

  > Broca's Area

  > Motor Cortex

  > Somatosensory Cortex

  > Visual Cortex

  > Wernicke's Area
• Auditory Cortex:

  > both hemispheres

  > analyses speech based information e.g. hearing pitch and volume

  > damage = partial through to full hearing loss
• Broca's Area:

  > left hemisphere

  > involved in production of spoken and written language

  > damage = Broca's aphasia - slow speech that lacks fluency or absence of speech
• Motor Cortex:

  > both hemispheres

  > involved in the creation of voluntary motor movements - contralateral wiring

  > damage = loss of control over fine movements
• Somatosensory Cortex:

  > both hemispheres

  > processes information from the senses in the skin, such as touch, pressure, pain and temperature

  > damage = problems perceiving touch, failure to recognise objects by touch
• Visual Cortex:

  > both hemispheres

  > receives information directly from eyes - right visual field to left hemisphere, left visual field to right hemisphere - and processes information such as colour and shape

  > damage = blindness, hallucinations or inability to see colour and motion
• Wernicke's Area:

  > left hemisphere

  > involved in the understanding of language

  > damage = Wernicke's aphasia - cannot understand spoken language or produces nonsense words (fluent but meaningless speech)
• Localisation of Function AO3:

  :) RTS - Broca (tan man)

  :( RTC - patient EB

  :( Case studies = low population validity

  :( RTC - Lashley (rats)