penfields study

Question 1

what did he do?

Answer 1

treated people with severe epilepsey - discovered montreal proceedure - target neurons to destroy to reduce seizures - electrical stimulation of individual neurons to reduce seizures that were responisble for epilepsey accurateley - reduce side effects that could occur if certain areas of brain were destroyed

Question 2

aim?

Answer 2

psychological responses patients gave when parts of the brain were electrically stimulated

Question 3

method?

Answer 3

lay on operating table concious - local anesthetic was used - stimulated different areas of brain using montreal proceedure and recorded responses - 30 years studied more than 1000 cases

Question 4

results?

Answer 4

visual area - colours and shadows and crude outlines of objects
somatosensory - tingling or false sense of movement

Question 5

what happens if it was applied to the temporal lobe (experiences)?

Answer 5

described past experiences - reported experiences as they were re-living events
clear and vivid - aware of other events happening around them
same of temporal lobe stimulated - same experience

Question 6

What happened when they stimulated the temporal lobe (interpritations)?

Answer 6

other cells in temporal lobe were stimulated - emotions or feelings related to experiences. e.g: sense that sense is coming closer - reported having experiences before - deja vu
experiences were hallucinations

Question 7

conclusions?

Answer 7

area of temporal lobe he stimulated must have a role in storing memories from previous events
2 different ways - facts of the experience and the meaning of the facts for the individual. interpritive cortex stores information on feelings