4. Lateralisation in the Brain

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about ‘lateralisation’ in the brain, i.e. the way in which the two hemispheres of the brain have become specialised in different functions, focusing in particular on: (i) the lateralisation of language processes in the left hemisphere of the brain; (ii) the role of ‘Broca’s area’ in speech production and the role of ‘Wernicke’s area’ in speech comprehension; (iii) the angular gyrus, an area in the parietal lobe which, together with the visual cortex and Wernicke’s area, is involved in reading and writing.

Course

In this course, Mr Kevin Silber (University of Derby) explores the anatomy and function of the human brain. In the first lecture, we look at how the brain is structured. In the second lecture, we think about further brain structures, including the limbic system. In the third lecture, we think about the localisation of different functions in particular areas of the brain. Next, we consider the lateralisation of certain brain processes in the two hemispheres. In the fifth lecture, we look at split-brain research. In the sixth and final lecture, we think about brain plasticity and the recovery of brain function after trauma.

Lecturer

Mr Kevin Silber is a senior lecturer at the University of Derby where he primarily teaches biological psychology modules. Mr Silber is also an AQA A-Level examiner and is involved in authoring texts for A-Level psychology. Having started life as a neuroscientist, Mr Silber’s research interests still lie in biologically oriented topics. However, his main research interest is now focused on body image. Some of Mr Silber’s recent publications include ‘Working memory in children: A developmental approach to the phonological coding of pictorial material’ (2011) and ‘Sexual orientation and the sleep-wake cycle: A preliminary investigation’ (2000).