localisation of function

Question 1

What is meant by the term localisation of function?

Answer 1

Localisation of function refers to the principle that specific functions have specific locations within the brain.

Question 2

What is the motor cortex responsible for?

Answer 2

responsible for the generation of voluntary motor movements.

Question 3

Where is the motor cortex located within the brain?

Answer 3

posterior of the frontal lobe

Question 4

do both sides of the brain have a motor cortex and what do they cotrol?

Answer 4

Both hemispheres have a motor cortex - each side control over the opposite body side

Question 5

What does damage to the motor cortex cause?

Answer 5

cause loss of muscle function / paralysis on opposite side of body

Question 6

what does the somatosensory cortex do?

Answer 6

detects sensory events along the postcentral gyrus

Question 7

where is the somatosensory cortex located within the brain?

Answer 7

In the parietal lobe

Question 8

DO both hemispheres have a somatosensory cortex and what do they porcess?

Answer 8

Yes
Process touch , pain , heat presure and produce a sensation within the relative area

Question 9

what does damage to the somatosensory cortex cause?

Answer 9

loss of sensation in opposite side of the body

Question 10

Where is the visual cortex found?

Answer 10

in the occipital lobe

Question 11

How does processing within the visual cortex occur?

Answer 11

• Processing begins in retina, where light hits photoreceptors
• The optic nerve transmits the impulse to the thalamus
• the thalamus relays the information to the visual cortex for processing

Question 12

do both hemispheres have a visual cortex and where to they receive imput of information from?

Answer 12

Yes
They receive informatio from the opposite side of the visual field

Question 13

visual cortex processing flow chart

Answer 13

Retina → optic nerve → thalamus → visual cortex (co-ordinates a response)

Question 14

where is the auditory cortex located?

Answer 14

Temporal lobe

Question 15

What is the auditory cortex responsible for?

Answer 15

sound processing

Question 16

where does the auditory cortex receive information from?

Answer 16

the cochlea in the inner ear

Question 17

How does the auditory cortex process information?

Answer 17

• Information received by cochlea in the inner ear → converts soundwaves to nerve impulses which travel to the brain
• When it reaches the brain stem information is decoded such as the intensity of the sound and duration
• The nerve impulse travels to the thalamus - relay station for further processing

Question 18

Auditory cortex processing flow chart

Answer 18

cochlea -> coverts soundwaves - nerve impulses –> travel to brain –> reaches brain stem where information is decoded such as intensity –> nerve impulse travels to thalamus (relay station for later processing)

Question 19

Broca’s area where is it located

Answer 19

posterior left frontal lobe

Question 20

What is broca’s area acossiated with ?

Answer 20

language production

Question 21

How did Broca come to his findings?

Answer 21

Using post mortems of patient TAN who could only say the word TAN and identidied a lesion on broca’s area

Question 22

what is Broca’s aphasia ?

Answer 22

is a conditioned characterised by very limited and clumsy speech and writing

Question 23

Where is Wernicke’s area located?

Answer 23

Located in left temporal lobe

Question 24

How did wernicke’s area find out the research?

Answer 24

Examined patients but his could speak random noises but not understand language
* Therefore he proposed that language involves separate motor and sensor regions located in different cortical regions

Question 25

what is the neural loop between Broca and Wernicke’s area?

Answer 25

someone struggle comprehending language they may also have some difficulties with speech (interlinked)

Question 26

What is Wernicke’s aphasia?

Answer 26

conditioned characterised by limited understanding of language and inablity to form coherent speech

Question 27

AO3 Strengths

Answer 27

• Aphasia studies
  Broca / wernicke’s research add understanding to aphasia which many suffer from

Expressive aphasia = impaired ability to produce language

Receptive aphasia = inability to understand language / extract meaning from words

Pioneered a greater volume of research / expansion of knowledge for speech and language comprehension issues / what can be done for rehabilitation

• Knowledge of functionality
  Allowed for greater knowledge and understanding to be able to treat
• Real world application
  Through understanding the prolonged / immediate impacts → in 1840s wanted to understand the behavioural

Phineas Gage → had a rod through his skull through left cheek and up through his frontal lobe

Survived \
Had long term personality disorder/ unable to follow through with plans

Case study highlighted able to experience damage and be able to live / function relatively normally after
Highlights the frontal lobes are responsible for personality and reasoning - supports LOF knowledge

Question 28

Limitations

Answer 28

• LASHLEY
  Localisation does not exist for simple processing not for higher functions → reductionist

Did research on rats causing lesions found that despite damage to specific areas → still continued to function socially,physically

When damage in brain other areas will compensate (equipotentiality) → localisation of function is reductionist

Though if fully destroyed the part of the brain other areas unable to compensate

• Consider LOF or more interest in communication across brain
  Bejerine → found if someone lost ability to read due to the damage between visual cortex and wernicke’s area

Suggests that complex processing build up then suggesting simple LOF but the damage to connection between these structures may cause impairments
LOC may not be as important but identifying the connectivity is more important

• Is language confined to Brocas?
  DRONKER →reviewed preserved of two Broca’s patients
  TAN / Lazare Lelong using MRI
  Found other areas were damaged as well that MAY have contributed to speech impairments

Damage to Broca’s area rarely results in severe damage suggesting it is far more complex

So new techniques shows the lesion was not the only thing impacting other damages areas may have been contributing to this loss of speech

• Broca
  Only one or two patients → lacking generalisability / reliability
  Brocas less specific → lacks scientific credibility
• Individual differences → unable to assumer
  Baveller - found unique behaviour in individuals finding these varied in the frontal / temporal and occipital lobes

Research found gender differences in size f Broca/ Wernicke’s area