Localisation Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is localisation of function?
Believe the specific areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours cognitive processes or activities
What is the holistic theory of the brain?
Believe that all parts of the brain are involved in behaviours cognitive processes conductivities
What is the visual cortex?
located in the occipital lobe
responsible for processing different types of visual information (colour shape or movement)
Spans both hemispheres of the brain
How does damage to the left hemisphere affect the visual cortex?
Can produce blindness in parts of the right visual field in both eyes
how do the hemispheres of the brain work together for the visual cortex?
right hemisphere receives input from the left hand side of the visual field
left hemisphere receives its input from the right hand side of the visual field
What is the function of the auditory complex?
Processes sound based information (pictures and volume)
Where is the auditory complex located
temporal lobe
What will happen if there’s damage to the auditory cortex?
hearing loss
the more extensive damage the poor extensive to loss
what is the function of the motor cortex?
Responsible for voluntary motor movements
- both hemispheres have a motor cortex
- Cortex on one side of the brain controls the muscles on the opposite side of the body
Where is the Motor cortex located?
the frontal lobe
What happens if there’s damage to the motor cortex?
Loss of control over fine movements
what is the function of the somatosensory cortex?
detect sensory events
produce sensations of touch pressure, pain and heat
- both hemispheres have a somatosensory cortex, cortex on one side receive sensory info from the opposite side of the body
Where is the Somatosensory cortex located?
parietal lobe
What will happen if there is damage to the somatosensory cortex?
decrease in sensitivity
What is the function of the Brocas area?
critical for speech production
where is the Brocas area located?
left frontal lobe
what is the function of the wernickes area?
responsible for language comprehension
where is Wernickes area located?
left temporal lobe
what happens if there is damage to the wernickes area?
wernickes aphasia
producing nonsense words
What are strengths of Brain localisation
- supported by research (peterson)
- supported by Tans case study
Evaluate supported by research from Peterson as a strength for localisation
P: supported by research
E: Peterson at all used brain grants to demonstrate how wernickes area was active during a listening task and brocas area was active during a reading task
E: Strength as it provides evidence to suggest the specific areas of the brain are responsible for different behaviours
evaluate the case study of Tan as the strength of localisation
- supported by brocas case studies
- Studied a patient who could only say the word “Tan” but could understand speech. performed an autopsy on his brain and found damage to an area towards the base of the frontal lobe. He also investigated other patients with the same symptoms and found damage in the same area. He concluded that this area was responsible for speech production.
- Strength of localisation because these cases demonstrate that different functions are located in specific areas of the brain
What are the limitations of Brain localisation?
- contradictory evidence
- research used animals
evaluate contradictory evidence as a limitation of localisation
- There is evidence to suggest that the theory is not correct
- Lashley removed areas of the cortex in rats which were learning maze. No area was proving to be more important than another in terms of the ability to learn the maze. Process of learning appears to require every part of the cortex.
- This contradict localisation and suggest that some functions such as learning how to complex localised and required the whole brain. This supports the holistic brain theory.
