Penfield's Study of the Interpretive Cortex

• Aim

  To investigate the function of the interpretive cortex during the Montreal Procedure
• Method

  Operated on patients with severe epilepsy. Stimulated areas in the brain of a conscious patient who would report their experiences
• Results

  Stimulation to the Temporal Lobe lead to the patients recalling past experiences and emotions related to these experiences
• Conclusion

  That the area of the Temporal Lobe he studied had a role in the storing of memories
• Weakness


  The unusual sample (epileptics) may mean that these findings aren't generalisable as they may not apply to people with 'normal' brains
• Strength


  Penfield's method was precise as he was able to stimulate the same area of the brain every time