Localisation of Function

Question 1

What happened to Phineas Gage and what did this suggest?

Answer 1

• Had a meter long iron pole through left cheek, exiting skull, taking proportion of brain with it - mostly left frontal lobe
• He survived but damage to brain left mark on his personality (quick-tempered, rude)
• Suggested that the frontal lobe may be responsible for regulating mood

Question 2

What are the 2 theories of the brain function?

Answer 2

• Holistic
• Localisation of function

Question 3

What is the holistic theory?

Answer 3

All parts of brain involved in processing of thought and action

Question 4

What is localisation of function?

Answer 4

Theory that specific areas of the brain are associated with particular physical and psychological functions - damage to these areas causes consequences on behaviour

Question 5

What is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 5

• Covers inside of brain
• 3mm thick
• Cortex on both hemispheres subdivided into 4 lobes

Question 6

What are the 4 lobes?

Answer 6

Frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal

Question 7

Where is the motor cortex, what is its role and what would happen if it were to be damaged?

Answer 7

• Back of frontal lobe
• Controls voluntary movement in the opposite side of the body
• Loss of movement

Question 8

Where is the somatosensory cortex, what is its role and what would happen if it were to be damaged?

Answer 8

• At front of parietal lobe
• Represents sensory information from the skin (touch, heat, pressure)
• Loss of senses

Question 9

Where is the visual cortex, what is its role and what would happen if it were to be damaged?

Answer 9

• In occipital lobe
• Information from the right visual field is sent to the left visual cortex and vice versa. Receives and processes impulses from the optic nerves
• Loss of sight

Question 10

Where is the auditory cortex, what is its role and what would happen if it were to be damaged?

Answer 10

• In temporal lobe
• Analyses speech based information
• Loss of hearing

Question 11

Where is the Wernicke’s area, what is its role and what would happen if it were to be damaged?

Answer 11

• Area in left temporal lobe
• Responsible for understanding language
• Wernicke’s Aphasia - struggle understanding words, produce nonsense words

Question 12

Where is the Broca’s areas, what is its role and what would happen if it were to be damaged?

Answer 12

• Small area in left frontal lobe
• Responsible for speech production
• Broca’s Aphasia - slow speech that lacks fluency

Question 13

What is lateralisation?

Answer 13

When a feature is specialised in one hemisphere