When we think about the brain, we usually separate it into lobes. We have the frontal lobe, the occipital lobe, the temporal lobe, and the parietal lobe. From this, we can generally understand that the brain has different areas responsible for different functions; how we see and move are processed and produced by particular brain regions.
- First, we will discuss what we mean by localisation of function in the brain in psychology.
- We will provide localisation of function in the brain diagrams to illustrate our points, highlighting particular areas of interest.
- Finally, we will delve into the localisation of function in the brain and hemispheric lateralisation, explaining what the two terms mean.
Localisation of Function in the Brain in Psychology
As we mentioned above, the brain is separated into lobes. Within these lobes sits particular regions responsible for certain functions.
Localisation of function in the brain describes the different areas responsible for tasks in the brain. Rather than every part of the brain controlling everything at once, the brain has dedicated regions that specialise in performing specific tasks.
Important regions to consider are:
- The motor cortex
- The somatosensory cortex
- The visual cortex
- The auditory cortex
- Broca's and Wernicke's areas
Localisation of Function in the Brain – Diagram
Visualising the different regions of the brain can be tricky without a diagram. Diagrams help us see where everything is. The motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, visual cortex, auditory cortex, and the two language areas known as Broca's and Wernicke's areas are all illustrated in the localisation of function in the brain diagram shown below.
Here, we can see how these separate areas provide different functions. Once we know where these areas are, we can then describe what it is they do.
We can distinguish the brain into lobes, freepik.com/freepik
Each cortex, alongside the language areas (Broca's and Wernicke's), demonstrates the brain's localisation of function.
Examples of Localisation of Brain Function
Each cortex, alongside the language areas (Broca's and Wernicke's), demonstrates the brain's localisation of function. Consider the following examples of localisation of function.
Motor Cortex
The motor cortex is responsible for voluntary movement. The motor cortex is active when you decide to move and take action in your daily life.
For instance, the motor cortex involves choosing to move your hand and pick up a glass of juice.
The motor cortex is in the frontal lobe, close to the central sulcus.
Somatosensory Cortex
The somatosensory cortex is responsible for processing sensations such as touch, temperature, and pain. It helps you identify what is going on around you and enables you to respond appropriately.
Being able to detect a hot surface involves the somatosensory cortex.
The somatosensory cortex is located next to the motor cortex; however, it is in the parietal lobe. It can also help you perform skilled movements, showing that the different brain regions are interconnected and share functions. Knowing where your body is in a space involves the somatosensory cortex, the motor cortex, and the visual cortex.
Visual Cortex
As you may guess, the visual cortex is responsible for processing information our eyes perceive. The optic nerve sends visual information from your eye to the visual cortex to assign meaning to the information, which is how you see. All visual information is then processed and integrated (combined) with information from other parts of the brain.
When you look around a room and see an apple on a desk, your visual cortex is processing information relayed by your eyes via the optic nerve to the brain, which allows you to see the room, the apple, and the desk.
The visual cortex is located in the occipital lobe.
Auditory Cortex
Like the visual cortex processes visual information, the auditory cortex is responsible for processing auditory information received by the ears. The auditory nerve sends information to the auditory cortex, which then, like the visual cortex, is assigned meaning so we can hear and understand the sounds we have perceived.
When a dog barks nearby, your ears pick up the sound and send it through the auditory nerve to the auditory cortex, which processes the information and allows you to hear the sound.
It's helpful to think of your eyes, ears, and the body as the thing that takes in information from the world and the different cortexes as the places where this information is processed to make sense of it.
Broca's Area
Broca's area is responsible for producing speech and is a specialised language area of the brain. When you want to say something, Broca's area is what allows you to plan and then speak something out loud. Broca's area also regulates your breathing and helps you talk by coordinating all the muscles involved allowing you to say what you want.
When you want to have a conversation with a friend, Broca's area allows you to plan what you want to say.
Broca's area communicates with other regions of the brain, especially the motor cortex, to allow you to move your mouth and speak. It is located in the inferior frontal gyrus. Damage to Broca's area can result in Broca's Aphasia, where you can understand speech but cannot form or have difficulty forming the words you want to speak.
Wernicke's Area
Wernicke's area is another specialised language area of the brain, and it is responsible for making speech meaningful. Understanding language is possible due to Wernicke's area, which is crucial in language comprehension.
When a friend is talking to you, Wernicke's area allows you to understand their words.
Wernicke's area is located in the superior temporal gyrus, close to the auditory cortex. Damage to Wernicke's area results in Wernicke's aphasia, where you struggle to understand and comprehend speech/language.
Wernicke's and Broca's areas are crucial in being able to speak to those around you, freepik.com/pch.vector
Localisation of Function in the Brain and Hemispheric Lateralisation
Whilst localisation of function in the brain refers to particular areas of the brain being responsible for specific functions, hemispheric lateralisation of function refers to how the two hemispheres of the brain (left and right) are responsible for different functions.
It's a subtle difference, but a difference nonetheless. The corpus callosum connects the two hemispheres.
The left hemisphere, for example, is where Broca's and Wernicke's areas reside. You will not find these areas in the right hemisphere.
Instead, you will find functions such as spatial comprehension in the right hemisphere.
The hemispheres communicate via the corpus callosum, but each hemisphere specialises in specific functions.
Localisation of function in the brain - Key takeaways
- We can define the localisation of function in the brain as the idea that different areas of the brain are responsible for specific functions.
- Important regions to consider are the motor cortex, the somatosensory cortex, the visual cortex, the auditory cortex, and the language regions known as Broca's and Wernicke's areas.
- The motor cortex is responsible for voluntary movement, the visual cortex is responsible for processing visual information from the eyes, the somatosensory cortex is responsible for processing sensations such as touch, temperature, and pain, and the auditory cortex is responsible for processing auditory information from our ears.
- Broca's area is responsible for speech production, and damage results in Broca's aphasia. Wernicke's area is responsible for speech comprehension, and damage results in Wernicke's aphasia.
- Hemispheric lateralisation is where the left and right hemispheres of the brain specialise in specific functions, and they are not completely the same. Broca's and Wernicke's areas are located in the left hemisphere, showing the left hemisphere is dominant in language production and comprehension.
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