Localisation of function

Question 1

The human brain can be viewed as 3 concentric layers which are…

Answer 1

The central core, limbic system, cerebrum

Question 2

The central core

Answer 2

Contains the hypothalamus and controls basic function (hunger, thirst, breathing.) Maintains homeostasis.

Question 3

The limbic system

Answer 3

Emotional regulation, contains the hippocampus for memory consolidation.

Question 4

The cerebrum

Answer 4

Regulates higher intellectual processes.
Outermost layer is the cerebral cortex.
Our sensory systems send messages to and from the cerebral cortex
made up of left and right hemispheres connected to the corpus callosum.

Question 5

Each hemisphere in the cerebrum is split into 4 lobes

Answer 5

Frontal, parietal, temporal and occipical lobes.

Question 6

Frontal lobe

Answer 6

Awareness of what we are doing within our environment (conscious impulse inhibition) Finishes developing at 25

Question 7

Temporal lobes

Answer 7

Auditory ability and memory acquisition

Question 8

Occipital lobes

Answer 8

Vision

Question 9

Parietal lobes

Answer 9

Sensation and perception

Question 10

Limbic system

Answer 10

Emotional regulation and memory consolidation

Question 11

Cerebellum

Answer 11

Automated movement and balance.

Question 12

Somatosensory cortex

Answer 12

located in the anterior part of the parietal lobe. Responds to sensory info. e.g heat/cold. Responds to our sense of body movement.

Question 13

Motor cortex

Answer 13

Located at the posterior of the frontal lobe. Responsible for controlling voluntary movements (left hand side controlled by right hemisphere and visa versa.)

Question 14

Auditory cortex

Answer 14

located in the temporal lobe: responsible for analysis of speech based information

Question 15

Hemispheres

Answer 15

Lateralisation- idea each hemispshere is responsible for different function.
Left is for language (broca’s area- language production, Wernike’s area- language comprehension)

Question 16

Case study evidence

Answer 16

Phineas gage was working in a tunnel and an iron rod went through his frontal lobe. Personality changed to rude and blasphemous. Suggests different parts of the brain affect different things.

Cannot be generalised as is a case study.

Question 17

Scanning studies

Answer 17

Peterson (1988) used a PET scan to demonstrate how Wernicke’s area was active in a listening task and Broca’s area was during a reading task. Suggests differnet functions

Question 18

Psychosurgical evidence

Answer 18

Lobotomy- removal of brain tissue
Leucotomy- Cutting the connections to a particular part of the brain.

Neurosurgery is used for OCD patients by severing the cingulate gyrus which suggests serious mental disorders and localised.

Question 19

Not all functions are localised

Answer 19

1950 Karl lashley rats,
Suggested that basic motor and sensory functions were localised but higher mental functions were not.
Lashly removed increasing amounts of the rats cortical regions and observed the eggects on their ability o learn .
Effects were due to about removed not location. We cannot generalise between species.

Question 20

Plasticity and functional recovery

Answer 20

The fact that humans can regain some cognitive abilities following damage to specific regions (plasticity) is evidence against the idea of cortocal specialisation e.g Jodie Millar and Gabby Giffords.