Localisation in the brain/hemispheric lateralisation

Question 1

what does the localisation theory suggest

Answer 1

that certain areas of the brain are responsible for certain processes, behaviours and activities.

Question 2

what is the brain divided into

Answer 2

two hemispheres - right and left

Question 3

what is localisation of function

Answer 3

where different parts of the brain perform different functions

Question 4

what does localised mean

Answer 4

when specific parts of the brain perform a particular functions

Question 5

what is localised to the left hemisphere

Answer 5

language skills such as speaking, reading and understanding words

Question 6

what is localised to the right hemisphere

Answer 6

spatial skills such as navigating and understanding instructions

Question 7

what does lateral mean?

Answer 7

side

Question 8

what are areas of the brain that are localised

Answer 8

Visual centres 
Auditory centres 
Motor cortex 
Somatosensory cortex 
Language centres
Language area

Question 9

what is the motor cortex

Answer 9

controls voluntary movements. both hemispheres have a motor cortex with each side controlling muscles on the opposite side of the body (left hemispheres controls muscles on the right side of the body)

Question 10

what is the somatosensory area

Answer 10

is an area in the parietal lobe which processes information associated with the senses e.g. touch heat, pressure

Question 11

what are visual centres

Answer 11

is an rea in the occipital lobe which is responsible for processing visual information.

the right hemisphere visual cortex processes visual information by the left eye and vice versa. the visual cortex contains different regions to do with colour shape and movement

Question 12

what are auditory centres

Answer 12

is an area of the temporal lobe, located on the superior temporal gyrus, which is responsible for processing auditory information and speech

Question 13

what are language centres ?

Answer 13

wernickes area and Broca’s area

Question 14

what is the wernickes area

Answer 14

responsible for language comprehension and is located in the temporal lobe

Question 15

what is wernickes aphasia

Answer 15

when a person struggles to understand a conversation. Wernicke’s lesions in the brain area could not produce but not understand language

Question 16

what is the broca’s area

Answer 16

main centre of speech production and responsible for speech control and is located in the frontal lobe usually left hemisphere

Question 17

what is broca’s aphasia

Answer 17

difficulty forming complete sentences, as well as failing to understand the order of words

Question 18

what is the left hemisphere associated with

Answer 18

with language production comprehension

Question 19

what is hemispheric lateralisation

Answer 19

the idea that the brain perfumes two different functions

Question 20

what does lateralisation mean

Answer 20

some functions are dominated by one hemisphere

Question 21

what is the outer layer of the brain

Answer 21

the cerebral cortex

Question 22

how is information processed

Answer 22

each visual field has two sides-left side. The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and vice versa

Question 23

where do seizers come from

Answer 23

right hemisphere

Question 24

corpus collosum

Answer 24

a bundle of nerve axons which connect the two hemispheres enabling them to communicate between with each other.

Question 25

what does it mean when functions are organised contralaterally

Answer 25

the right hemisphere controls the left side of the brain and the left hemisphere controls the right side of the brain.

Question 26

how do the two hemisphere communicate

Answer 26

by sending nerve impulses to each other via synapses

Question 27

what will happen if the corpus collusum is cut, what effect will this have on the two hemispheres .

Answer 27

the two will no longer be able to communicate

Question 28

what is research that investigates spit brain patients

Answer 28

Sperry's split brain research

Question 29

what do patients with seizures have taken out

Answer 29

corpus collusum

Question 30

what is the aim of Sperry's research

Answer 30

to assess the abilities of separated brain hemispheres

Question 31

what did sperry conduct

Answer 31

split brain research on epileptic patients. in order to control their seizures, those patients underwent surgical lesioning of the corpus collusum, through a procedure called a cerebral commissurotomy, where information processed by one hemisphere cannot be relayed to the other

Question 32

how do researchers conduct split brain research

Answer 32

1) present stimulus | 2) ask patient to respond to stimulus

Question 33

what was the presented stimulus in Sperry's split brain research

Answer 33

picture or object

Question 34

where was the stimulus presented

Answer 34

either to the left or right hemisphere

Question 35

what is plasticity

Answer 35

the brains tendency to change and adapt (functially ad physically) as a result of experience and new learning

Question 36

what happens during infancy in the brain

Answer 36

the brain experiences a rapid growth in the number of synaptic connections in the brain. as we age, rarely use connections are deleted and frequently used connections are strengthened (synaptic pruning)

Question 37

what is synaptic prunning

Answer 37

Is a process where the brain gets rid of old connections that we no longer use between the connections that are left

Question 38

what did Maguire find

Answer 38

Found that one the posterior hippocampal volume of London taxi drivers brains was positively correlated with their time as a taxi drivers brain and those of controls. This shows the brain can permanently change in response to frequent exposure to particular task

Question 39

what did Kuhn find?

Answer 39

found that playing video games for 30+ minutes per day resulted in increased brain matter in the cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. thus the complex cognitive demands involved in mastering a video game cause a formation of new synpatic connections in the brain sites controlling spatial navigation, planning and decision making

Question 40

what is axonal sprouting

Answer 40

Where the brain creates new connections and synapses within the brain to accommodate for this new learning

Question 41

what does pruning mean

Answer 41

where connections are lost due to reduce with age

Question 42

what is bridging

Answer 42

Where new connections are created due to use and new stimulus

Question 43

what is functional recovery

Answer 43

A form of plasticity, the brains ability to redistribute or transfer functions: following drama and trauma