Localisation of function

Question 1

What two theories are there for how the brain functions?

Answer 1

• Holistic approach- all areas of brain involved in processing of thought & action
• Localisation- different areas in the brain are responsible for different behaviours, processes etc

Question 2

what is the cerebral cortex?

Answer 2

outer layer of the brain

Question 3

Name the lobes that make up the brain

Answer 3

4 lobes= frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital, temporal lobe

Question 4

Where is the Motor area located & what is its function?

Answer 4

• Located at the back of the frontal lobe (both hemispheres)
• responsible for voluntary movements on opposite side of the body
• damage = motor impairments/ loss of control over fine movements

Question 5

Where is the Somatosensory located & what is its function?

Answer 5

• Located at the front of parietal lobe (both hemispheres)
• Receives sensory information from skin to produce sensations

Question 6

Where is the Visual area located & what is its function?

Answer 6

• located at the back of occipital lobe
• Responsible for receiving & processing visual information e.g. colours ,shapes
• damage= blindness, visual impairment

Question 7

Where is the the Auditory area located & what is its function?

Answer 7

• located at the bottom of temporal lobe
• responsible for analysing and processing acoustic information
• damage=partial hearing loss

Question 8

language is restricted to the…

Answer 8

left side of the brain

Question 9

What are the two language centres of the brain?

Answer 9

Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area

Question 10

Where is Brocas area located and what is its function?

Answer 10

• located in left frontal lobe
• responsible for speech production
• damage to this area causes Broca’s aphasia (slow, lack of frequency)

Question 11

Where is Wernickes area located and what is its function?

Answer 11

• located in left temporal lobe
• responsible for language comprehension
• damage to area causes Wernicke’s aphasia (nonsense words)

Question 12

outline case study of Phineas Gage (1848)

Answer 12

• while working at rail line Gage suffered damaged to his frontal lobe after iron rod went through his skull
• left a mark on his personality, became rude hostile quick-tempered etc

Question 13

How does Phineas Gage support localisation theory?

Answer 13

• frontal lobe was damaged which is linked to personality, mood & reasoning = proof that damage to his frontal lobe responsible for change in personality

Question 14

How can the localisation theory be seen as reductionist?

Answer 14

• reduces very complex human behaviours/ cognitive processes to one specific region in the brain

Question 15

What research is their to support localisation theory?

Answer 15

• Petersen et al (1988) used brain scans to show how Wernicke’s area was active during a listening task and Broca’s area was active during a reading task
• also found that semantic and episodic memories are also stored in different parts of the prefrontal cortex
  = there are localised areas for everyday behaviours/ objective methods

Question 16

What did Lashley propose in challenge to localisation theory?

Answer 16

• challenge through experiments with rats by removing different areas of their cortex while they were learning a maze he found no specific area was more important than another
• thus proposed the equipotentiality theory, which suggest that basic motor and sensory functions are localised, but higher mental functions are not
• she claimed that other undamaged regions can take over specific functions following brain injury= holistic