LOCALISATION OF FUNCTION

• What is localisation of function?

  idea that specific areas of the brain are linked with specific functions
• how many hemispheres in the brain?

  two

  left and right hemisphere
• what is lateralisation?

  some functions are controlled by one particular hemisphere
• which hemisphere controls the left side of the body?

  the right, vice versa
• what is the outer layer of the brain?

  cerebral cortex, a highly developed layer over our brain
• what are the four lobes of the brain?

  frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal
• where is the frontal lobe?

  front section of the brain
• where is the parietal lobe?

  the top of the back of the brain
• where is the temporal lobe?

  bottom of the brain at the back
• where is the occipital lobe?

  back of the brain
• where is the motor area?

  back of the frontal lobe
• where is the somatosensory cortex?

  the front of the parietal lobe
• where is the visual cortex?

  occipital lobe
• where is the auditory area?

  temporal lobe
• where is Wernickes area?

  the top of the temporal lobe in the LEFT hemisphere
• Where is Broca’s area?

  back of the frontal lobe
• what does the motor area do?

  controls voluntary movement
• what does the somatosensory cortex do?

  processes sensory information from the skin (heat, pressure ect)
• what does the visual cortex do?

  information from the eyes gets sent here

  right visual field goes to left hemisphere and vice versa
• what does the auditory area do?

  information from the ears gets sent here
• What does Wernicke’s area do?

  responsible for language comprehension
• what does damage to Wernicke’s area do?

  causes Wernicke’s Aphasia

  characterised by producing fluent but non-sensical speech
• what does Broca’s area do?

  responsible for speech production
• what does damage do Broca’s area do?

  causes Brocas Aphasia

  characterised by slow, garbled speech
• Supporting research of Localisation of function

  Peterson, fMRI scans to show Wernicke’s area is active during listening whereas Broca’s is active during reading

  Doughety - 44 OCD patients who had a surgery on parts of frontal lobe, 32% success rate and 14% partial success
• Neurosurgical evidence of Localisation of Function

  early form of mental illness treatment was neurosurgery - removing part of brain thought to be responsible
• Contradictory research of localisation of function

  Lashley - taught rats to navigate a maze, then removed part of brain. Couldn’t find a specific area responsible for memory of the maze.

  Equipotentially theory : basic functions are localised but higher functions are spread throughout the brain
• Weakness of localisation of function

  Neural Plasticity challenges - when the brain has become damaged it can reorganise itself to recover the function
• Case study evidence

  Gage - received serious damage after a spike went through his cheek and took part of his frontal lobe. He became rude and quick tempered, suggesting part of the frontal lobe is responsible for regulating mood