localisation of function

• where is the motor area of the brain found?

  frontal lobe
• what is the function of the motor area?

  responsible for voluntary movements by sending signals to the muscles in the body
• is the motor area in the left or right side of the brain?

  both - the motor area on one side of the brain controls the muscles on the other side of the body
• where is the somatosensory area found?

  in the parietal lobe
• what is the function of the somatosensory area?

  receives incoming information from the skin to produce sensations related to pressure, pain and temperature
• is the somatosensory are in the left or right side of the brain?

  both - the somatosensory area on one side of the brain receives sensory information from the opposite side of the body
• where is the visual area found?

  occipital lobe
• what is the function of the visual area?

  receives and processes visual information. contains different parts that process different types of information relating to colour, shape or movement
• is the visual area in the left or right side of the brain?

  both- info from the right visual field is processes by the left hemisphere, information from the left visual field is processed by the right hemisphere
• where is the auditory area?

  temporal lobe
• what is the function of the auditory area?


  responsible for analysing and processing acoustic information
• is the auditory area on the left or right side of the brain?

  both - information from the left ear primarily goes to the right hemisphere and the opposite for the right
• where is Broca's area?

  left frontal lobe
• what is the function of broca's area?

  thought to be involved in language production
• where is Wernicke's area found?

  left temporal lobe
• what is the function of wernicke's area?

  thought to be involved in language comprehension
• strength of localisation

  • cases such as Phineas Gage demonstrate that localisation of function is a valid explanation as he lost his original personality due to an iron rod going through his frontal lobe
• strength of localisation

  • brain scanning shows that types of LTM are localised as episodic are found in the hippocampus and temporal, semantic are found in the temporal and procedural in the motor area
• strength of localisation

  • real world application
  • led to DSM diagnostic conditions
  • expressive aphasia - broca's area damage - cannot speak
  • Receptive aphasia - Wernicke's area damage - cannot understand
  • Global aphasia - damage to both - cannot speak and cannot understand
• weakness of localisation

  • equipotentiality theory
  • only motor and sensory functions are localised - high order functioning is not
• weakness of localisation

  • Lashley removed 10-50% of a rat brain cortex and then they completed a learning maze - rats were not affected showing learning requires all of the cortex - high order cognitive processes are not localised
• weakness of localisation

  • reductionist
  • states functions are localised to a hemisphere - functional reordering due to trauma suggests the brain can modify its own structure due to experience - JW experience trauma to left hemisphere