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Summary Localisation of function in the brain AQA A level Psychology Cornell style notes
- Module
- Biopsychology
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- AQA
Detailed Cornell Style notes on Localisation of function in the brain
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LOCALISATION OF FUNCTION IN THE BRAINLocalisation versus holistic theory
Localisation of Localisation of function: the theory that different areas of the brain are
function responsible for specific behaviours, processes or activities
Paul Broca and • During the 19th century, scientists such as Paul Broca and Karl Wernicke
Karl Wernicke discovered that specific areas of the brain are associated with particular
physical and psychological functions
• Before these investigations(and before the case of Phineas Gage),
Holistic theory of scientists generally supported the holistic theory of the brain- that all
the brain parts of the brain were involved in the processing of though and action
Localisation of • In contrast, Broca and Wernicke argued for localisation of
functions functions(sometimes referred to as cortical specialisation).
• This is the idea that different parts of the brain perform different tasks
and are involved with different parts of the body.
• Therefore, if a certain area of the brain becomes damaged through
illness or injury, the function associated with that area will also be
affected
Hemispheres of the brain
The cerebrum • The main part of the brain(the cerebrum) is divided into two
symmetrical halves called the left and right hemisphere
• Some of our physical and psychological functions are controlled or
Lateralisation dominated by a particular hemisphere- this is called lateralisation
• As a general rule, the activity on the left- hand side of the body is
controlled by the right hemisphere and activity on the right-hand side
of the body by the left hemisphere
• Language is linked to the left hemisphere
Cerebral cortex The motor, somatosensory, visual and auditory centres
• The cerebral cortex( or 'cortex') is the outer layer of both hemispheres
• The cortex of both hemispheres is subdivided into four centres- called
the 'lobes' of the brain: the frontal lobe, the parietal lobe, the occipital
lobe and the temporal lobe
• A 'lobe' is a part of an organ that is separate in some way from the rest
• Each lobe is associated with different functions
• At the back of the frontal lobe(in both hemispheres) is the motor area
which controls voluntary movement in the opposite side of the body
• Damage to this area of the brain may result in a loss of control over fine
movements
Motor area
Motor area: a region of the frontal lobe involved in regulating movement
Parietal lobes
• At the front of both parietal lobes is the somatosensory area which is
Somatosensory separated from the motor area by a 'valley' called the central sulcus
area • The somatosensory area is where sensory information from the
skin(e.g. related to touch, heat, pressure, etc.) is represented
Central sulcus • The amount of somatosensory area devoted to a particular body part
denotes its sensitivity
, • E.g. receptors for our face and hands occupy over half of the
somatosensory area
Somatosensory area: an area of the parietal lobe that processes sensory
Occipital lobe information such as touch
Visual area/visual • In the occipital lobe at the back of the brain is the visual area (or visual
cortex cortex)
• Each eye sends information from the right visual field to the left visual
cortex and from the left visual field to the right visual cortex
• This means that damage to the left hemisphere, for example, can
produce blindness in part of the right visual field of both eyes
Temporal lobes
Visual area: a part of the occipital lobe that receives and processes visual
Auditory area information
• The temporal lobes house the auditory area
• This analyses speech-based information
• Damage may produce partial hearing loss
• The more extensive the damage, the more extensive the loss
• In addition, damage to a specific area of the temporal lobe- Wernicke's
aera- may affect the ability to comprehend language
Broca's area Auditory area: located in the temporal lobe and concerned with analysis of
speech based information
Wernicke's area
The language centres of the brain
Broca's area: an area of the frontal lobe in the left hemisphere(in most people),
responsible for speech production
Wernicke's area: an area of the temporal lobe(encircling the auditory cortex) in
the left hemisphere(in most people), responsible for language comprehension
• Unlike the areas which are found in both hemispheres, language is
Tan restricted to the left side of the brain in most people
• In 1800s, Paul Broca, a surgeon, identified a small area in the left frontal
lobe responsible for speech production
• Damage to Broca's area caused Broca's aphasia which is characterised
by speech that is slow, laborious and lacking in fluency
• Broca's most famous patient was 'Tan'- so called because that was the
only word he could say
• People with Broca's aphasia have difficulty with prepositions and
conjunctions(e.g. a, the, and)
• Around the same time as Broca, Karl Wernicke was describing people
who had not problem producing language but severe difficulties
Neologisms understanding it, such that the speech they produced was fluent but
meaningless
Phineas Gage • Wernicke identified a region(Wernicke's area) in the left temporal lobe
as being responsible for language understanding
• This results in Wernicke's aphasia when damaged
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