Brain Structures and Functions
What is the role of the cerebellum?
Coordination, balance, and posture.
Which lobe processes vision?
Occipital lobe.
Which hemisphere controls the left side of the body?
→ Right hemisphere.
Damage to Wernicke’s area results in what type of aphasia?
Wernicke’s (fluent) aphasia – speech is fluent but meaningless.
Which lobe is involved when you feel warmth from a cup of tea?
Parietal lobe – somatosensory processing
Name the three parts of the hindbrain.
Medulla, pons, cerebellum.
What does the primary auditory cortex do?
Receives and processes sound from both ears.
How does hemispheric specialisation relate to movement and sensation?
Each hemisphere controls and processes the opposite side of the body.
What might happen if the occipital lobe is damaged?
Visual disturbances or blindness.
You are trying to plan a holiday. Which brain region is most active?
Prefrontal cortex – planning, reasoning
Describe the function of the thalamus and its role in processing sensory information.
The thalamus acts as a sensory relay station, receiving sensory input (except smell) and directing it to the relevant areas of the cerebral cortex for further processing. It also plays a role in attention and arousal.
Why is the prefrontal cortex called the “executive”?
It coordinates higher-order thinking, planning, decision making.
Which hemisphere is likely more active during a musical performance?
Right hemisphere — creativity, music appreciation.
Describe one symptom of Broca’s aphasia
Difficulty producing speech; speech is slow, effortful
A friend says “chair” when they mean “table.” Which brain area might be damaged?
Wernicke’s area
What does the hypothalamus regulate? Give two examples.
→ Homeostasis; e.g., hunger and sleep.
Describe the function of Broca’s area and the result of damage to it.
Speech production; damage leads to non-fluent (Broca’s) aphasia.
Which hemisphere is typically more active when solving a maths problem, and why?
The left hemisphere is more active, as it specialises in logical reasoning, analysis, and sequential processing skills essential for solving mathematical problems.
What would damage to the cerebellum likely cause?
Uncoordinated movement, poor balance.
You are walking and hear a car behind you. You turn around quickly. Which regions are involved?
Temporal lobe (sound), midbrain (orientation/movement), occipital (visual check).
Explain how damage to the cerebral cortex could affect a person’s behaviour and cognitive functioning.
Damage to the cerebral cortex can result in a wide range of impairments depending on the area affected including problems with voluntary movement (motor cortex), sensation (somatosensory cortex), speech (Brocas or Wernickes area), vision (occipital lobe), or decision-making and personality (prefrontal cortex). This highlights the cortex’s role in complex mental processes and behaviour coordination.
Compare the role of the primary motor cortex and the primary somatosensory cortex, including how each is organised.
Motor cortex controls voluntary movement; somatosensory processes touch. Both are mapped by body part with more space for sensitive/precise areas.
Evaluate how split-brain research demonstrates hemispheric specialisation.
In split-brain patients, the left hemisphere (language) can't describe objects processed only by the right hemisphere (visual/spatial), showing lateralisation of function
A patient cannot feel touch on the right arm and cannot voluntarily move the left leg. What two parts of their brain might be damaged?
Somatosensory cortex (left hemisphere) and motor cortex (right hemisphere) opposite sides affected due to hemispheric specialisation
A footballer suffers a head injury and becomes emotionally volatile and impulsive. Explain which brain area might be affected and why.
Prefrontal cortex – emotion regulation and decision-making are disrupted.