Localisation

• What is localisation of cortical function?

  Each part of the brain has its own function / job
• What are the examples of localisation?

  • Frontal Lobe
  • Occipital lobe
  • Temporal lobe
  • Parietal lobe
  • Broca’s area
  • Wernicke’s area
• Where are Broca and Wernicke’s area?

  Left Hemisphere
• Why are Broca and Wernicke's area examples of lateralisation?

  Broca‘s area- frontal lobe- speech production

  Wernicke’s area- temporal lobe- language comprehension

  Both in left hemisphere
• How does the frontal lobe demonstrate localisation?

  Contains: motor area

  Responsible for:

  • Decision making
  • Movement
  • Personality
  • etc.
• How does the occipital lobe demonstrate localisation?

  Contains: visual area

  Responsible for:

  • Visual information- spatial / colour
• How does the temporal lobe demonstrate localisation?

  Contains: auditory area

  Responsible for:

  • Sounds/ processing language
• How does the parietal lobe demonstrate localisation?

  Contains: somatosensory area

  Responsible for:

  • Sensory information
• What is the study that supports localisation?

  44 patients with OCD were given a cingulotomy (lesion the cingulate gyrus)

  Findings:

  After 32 weeks

  • 1/3 met criteria for a successful response
  • 14% had a partial success

  Shows that symptoms/ behaviours associated with mental disorders/ behaviours are localised
• What is one strength of localisation in the brain?

  It provides evidence that different parts of the brain have different functions.
• What evidence supports the concept of localisation in the brain?

  Brain scan evidence shows activity in specific areas like Wernicke’s and Broca’s during tasks.
• What do brain scans reveal about semantic and episodic memories?


  They are located in different parts of the frontal cortex.
• Why are brain scans considered a sophisticated method for measuring brain activity?


  They provide scientific evidence in an objective manner.
• What type of evidence was used in the study on patients with OCD?

  Neurological evidence from a study on 44 patients.
• Who is Phineas Gage and why is he significant in the study of localisation?

  He is a unique case of serious brain damage that affected his personality.
• What happened to Phineas Gage after his accident?

  He survived but his personality changed from calm and reserved to quick-tempered and rude.
• What does the case of Phineas Gage suggest about the frontal lobe?

  It may be responsible for mood regulation.
• What’s the weakness of localisation?

  Neural Plasticity

  When brain has become damages & a function has been compromised/ lost, the brain is able to reorganise itself to recover the function

  Law of equipotentiality

  (Other parts of the brain ‘chip in’ so the same neurological activity can be achieved)

  Doesn’t happen every time it there are everlasting documented cases (e.g . Stroke patients recovering abilities that seemingly lost)