Localisation of brain function

• Localisation of brain function is the theory that specific areas of the brain are associated with particular physical and psychological function. This concept is key in understanding and a range of behaviours and cognitive processes in the biological approach to psychology.
• Lateralisation is the dominance of one hemisphere of the brain for particular psychical and psychological functions. Each hemisphere of the brain has distinct anatomical structures and is associated with different cognitive functions.
• Left hemisphere:

  Languages

  Logic

  Right hemisphere:

  Creativity

  spatial ability

  Artistic skills

  Musical skills
• If the language part of the brain is damaged, this will lead to a inability to speak or understand language. This is called Wernicks aphasia.
• The central core- This is known as the brain stem, It includes structures such as the hypothalamus. This regulates most primitive and involuntary behaviours. This is such as breathing, sneezing as well as sleeping. It also regulates eating and drinking as well as the endocrine system. Homeostasis is the process which the body maintains constant psychological state.
• The limbic system is found in the central core of the brain. Interconnected with hypothalamus and contains structures like the hippocampus. They are responsible for the key roles in memory and controls our emotions.
• The cerebrum is made up on the left and right hemispheres while they are connected by a bundle of fibres called the corpus callosum. This regulates intellectual process outermost layer of the cerebrum is called the cerebral cortex, appears grey cause of the location in the cell body
• One of the 4 lobes is the frontal lobe. This is responsible for the location of awareness of what we are doing within our environment for consciousness.
• One of the 4 lobes is the partial lobe. This is location for sensory and motor movements.
• One of the 4 lobes is the occipital lobe. This is where visual information is processed.
• One of the 4 lobes is the temporal lobe. This is where auditory processing takes place. The ability to recognise faces and speech. Also involved in long term memories.
• Another area of the brain somatosensory system is located in the parietal lobe. This responds to heat, cold, touch, pain and our sense of body movement.
• Another area of the brain is the visual. This is located in the optical lobe. The primary function of this part of the brain is to process visual information.
• Another area of the brain is the auditory. This is located in the temporal lobe. This is responsible for analysis of speeched base information.
• Another area of the brain is the motor. This is located in the parietal lobe. This is responsible for controlling voluntary movement. The left hand side is controlled by the right hemisphere and vice versa. Damage to this area can result in impaired movements.
• One advantage of localisation of the brain is brain scan evidence. Wealth of evidence providing support for the idea that many neurological functions are localised particularly in the relation to language and memory. Peterson and Peterson(1988) used brain scans to demonstrate how Wernickes area was active during a reading tasks supports that these areas are active language.
• One advantage of localisation is comprehension. There exists a higher sophisticated and objective methods for measuring activity in the brain which provide sound scientific evidence for localisation of the brain structure.
• One advantage of localisation is neurosurgical evidence. Most extreme treatment like laboratory or leucotomy. Neurosurgery still used today and is effective.
• One disadvantage of localisation is ethical considerations when using extreme treatment methods.