Localised functions

• Motor Cortex


  Responsible for voluntary movements and controls
• Somatosensory Cortex


  Detects sensory events like touch, pressure, pain
• Broca's Area


  Responsible for language production
• Auditory Cortex


  Recognises sound and gives an appropriate response, also processes pitch and volume
• Visual Cortex


  Processes visual information like colour and shape
• Wernicke's Area


  Responsible for language comprehension
• Localisation of brain functions is considered to be reductionist
• A more thorough understanding of human behaviour requires moving beyond just localised functions
• Not all researchers agree that brain functions are localised
• The view that brain functions are localised has been criticised as being overly simplistic
• Broca's area may not be solely responsible for speech, other areas may also be involved
• A study using MRI provided evidence that other areas affect speech failure, suggesting Broca's area is not solely responsible for speech