Week 6 Split Brain Case Study

Question 1

Why is it hard for both hands to do separate tasks at the same time?

Answer 1

Hard to do because both sides of brain are constantly communicating with each other leading to interference when we try to do two different tasks with each of our different hands

Question 2

Who has played in a central role in split brain research?

Answer 2

• Dr. Roger Sperry Neurophysiologist
• Michael Gazzaniga - Sperry’s student

Question 3

Describe a split brain patient

Answer 3

• Corpus Callusum is severed so that the two hemispheres do not communicate with each other

Question 4

How is epilepsy controlled for in the 1940s versus today?

Answer 4

1940s - rare surgery

today - drug treatments or less drastic surgery

Question 5

Describe contralateral control for visual processing

Answer 5

Question 6

Describe contralateral control for sensorimotor processing

Answer 6

Question 7

Describe contralateral control

Answer 7

• Left brain hemisphere controls the right side of the body
• Right brain hemisphere controls the left side of the body

Question 8

What happens to the hemispheres and to the optic nerve if the corpus callosum severed?

Answer 8

If Corpus Callosum is Severed:

• Hemispheres no longer communicate
• But optic nerve remains intact

With optic nerve:

• Fibers cross over, so input from left or right visual field to each respective hemisphere

Question 9

What happens in split brain patients when visual information is sent to either hemisphere?

Answer 9

Visual information sent to the two different hemispheres. Face in right filed of view will go to left brain hemisphere which is specialized for language so patient can say they saw the word face and verbalize it in contrast if they see face on left field of view it will be sent to right hemisphere and patient cannot indicate the word that they saw since right is not speicalzed for language and there is no cross talk. If they instead were asked to draw the key is they are given pen on side of body that corresponds to hemspiehre of brain where info is sent so info is sent to right hemisphere which controls left side of body so cannot verbalize it but can draw it

Question 10

Describe the interpreter

Answer 10

• a left hemisphere process that strives to make sense of events since it cannot communicate with the right hemisphere
• With limited information, the left hemisphere attempts to explain behavior governed by the right hemisphere

Question 11

Which hemisphere is face specialization found in?

Answer 11

right hemisphere