AO1 Localisation of Function

• What is localisation of function?

  The concept that specific functions are localised in specific areas of the brain.
• What is the brain divided into?

  Left and right hemisphere
• What is laterisation?


  The tendency for some neural functions or cognitive processes to be specialised to one side of the brain or the other
• What does 1 show?

  Motor Cortex

  
• What does 2 show?

  Somatosensory cortex

  
• What does 3 show?

  Visual Cortex

  
• What does 4 show?

  Auditory cortex

  
• Where is the motor area located?

  Frontal lobe
• What is the function of the motor area?

  Responsible for voluntary movements by sending signals to muscles in the body
• How are the regions in the motor area arranged?

  In a logical order: for example the region that controls finger movement is located next to the region that controls the hand and arm
• Where is the somatosensory area located?

  Parietal lobe
• What is the function of the somatosensory area?

  Receives incoming sensory information from the skin to produce sensations related to pressure, pain and temperature
• Robertson (1995) found that the somatosensory area is highly adaptable, with Braille readers having larger areas in the somatosensory area for their fingertips compared to normal sighted participants.
• Where is the visual cortex located?

  Occipital lobe
• What does the visual cortex do ?

  Receives and processes visual information.
• How is information in the visual cortex processed?

  Information from the right-hand side visual field is processed in the left hemisphere, and information from the left-hand side visual field is processed in the right hemisphere. The visual area contains different parts that process different types of information including colour, shape or movement.  
• Where is the auditory cortex located?

  Temporal lobe
• What does the auditory cortex do?

  Analysing and processing acoustic information
• How is information in the auditory cortex generally processed?

  Information from the left ear goes primarily to the right hemisphere and information from the right ear goes primarily to the left hemisphere. 
•   The auditory cortex contains different parts, and the primary auditory area is involved in processing simple features of sound, including volume, tempo and pitch. 
• What does Broca’s area do?

  Speech production
• Where is Broca’s area located?

  Left Frontal lobe
• How was Broca’s area discovered?

  Through the study of a patient named Tan who had difficulty speaking due to a lesion in the left frontal lobe.
• Damage to Broca’s area causes what?

  Broca’s aphasia which slows speech
• What does Wernicke’s area do?

  Language comprehension
• Where is Wernicke’s area located?

  Left temporal lobe
• What does damage to Wernicke‘s area cause?


  Wernicke's aphasia
• What are the only 2 structures that is just in the left side of the brain?

  Broca’s area and Wernicke‘s area
• Which brain areas are found on both side of the brain?

  Motor, somatosensory , visual and auditory cortices
• What does contralateral mean?


  Each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body
• Which cortices are contralateral?

  Motor, visual and somatosensory