Lesson 7 hemispheric lateralisation biopsych

Question 1

Define hemispheric lateralisation

Answer 1

Refers to the notion that certain functions are principally governed by one side of the brain

Question 2

Where are language centress lateralised?

Answer 2

left hemisphere

Question 3

What is the Broca’s area responsible for?

Answer 3

Speech production
Enables speech to be fluent

Question 4

What does damage to the Broca’s area cause?

Answer 4

Expressive aphasia

Question 5

What is the Wernicke’s area responsible for?

Answer 5

Language comprehension
Enables speech to be meaningful

Question 6

What does damage to the Wenicke’s area cause?

Answer 6

Receptive aphasia

Question 7

What is the right hemisphere dominant for?

Answer 7

Visual spatial functions and facial recognition

Question 8

What are the two hemispheres connected by?

Answer 8

A bundle of nerve fibres called the corpus callosum

Question 9

What does the corpus callosum do?

Answer 9

Enables information to be communicated between the two hemispheres

Question 10

Strengths of hemispheric lateralisation

Answer 10

• Makes sense from an evolutionary perspective, Increases neural processing capacity which is adaptive, By using one hemisphere for one task the other hemisphere is free to engage in another function, Rogers eat al found that it helped chickens be able to find food and be vigilant for predators at the same time
• Patients who have extensive damage to their left hemisphere can experience global aphasia where they have loss of speech production and speech comprehension showing that language is lateralised to the left hemisphere

Question 11

Weaknesses of hemispheric lateralisation

Answer 11

• lateralisation patterns shift with age with most tasks generally becoming less lateralised in healthy adulthood
• JW a spilt-brain patient developed the capacity to speak using his right hemisphere so he could speak about information presented in both visual fields so language isn’t lateralised to the left hemisphere
• • Dronkers et al 2007 re-examined the preserved brains of two of Broca’s patients. MRI scans revealed that several areas of the brain had been damaged. Lesions to the Broca’s area cause temporary speech disruption but not severely showing language is more widely distributed