Localisation

• Localisation - the theory that specific areas of the brain are associated with particular physical and psychological functions
• Motor area

  Different parts of the motor cortex exert control over different parts of the body. These are arranged logically.
• Somatosensory cortex

  Located in the parietal lobe close to the motor area.

  Detects sensory events arising from different regions of the body.

  Both hemispheres have a somatosensory cortex, with each hemisphere receiving sensory information from the opposite side of the body.
• Visual centre

  Processing begins in the retina and then information is sent to the brain via the optic nerve.

  Most information then travels to the thalamus which acts as a relay station passing this information on to the visual cortex
• Visual cortex

  The visual cortex spans both hemispheres with each hemisphere receiving information from the visual field of the opposite side.

  The visual cortex contains areas for different colours, shapes etc.
• Auditory centre

  Located in the temporal lobes

  Auditory pathway begins in the cochlea where soundwaves are converted to nerve impulses which travel via auditory nerve to the auditory cortex.

  Auditory pathway: Cochlea, Brainstem, Thalamus, Auditory cortex
• Language centres - Brocas area

  Named after Paul Broca

  Tan was a patient who could understand spoken language but could not speak or express his thoughts. Broca studied 8 other patients with similar language deficits.

  Post mortems revealed lesions to an area in the posterior portion of the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere.

  Patients with lesions on the right did not have these language difficulties.
• Language centre - Wernickes area

  Named after Carl Wernicke

  Located in the posterior portion of the left temporal lobe

  Patients with lesions in this area could speak but could not understand language

  Wernicke proposed that language involves separate motor and sensory regions located in different regions.
• Frontal lobe - involved with speech, thoughts and learning. At the back is the motor area

  Damage to this area results in a loss of control in movements
• Parietal lobes - processes sensory information such as touch, temperature and pain
• Temporal lobes - auditory area, this analyses speech based information
• Occipital lobes - processes visual information.

  Right visual field sends information to the left visual cortex

  Left visual field sends information to the right visual cortex
• Four lobes of the brain

  Frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal