PSY-101 1st EditionLecture 8Outline of Last LectureI. Plasticity and NeurogenesisII. The Overall Organization of the BrainOutline of Current Lecture I. Specialization in the Cerebral HemispheresII. Gender and the BrainCurrent LectureI. Specialization in the Cerebral Hemispheresa. Cortical localization- different functions are located or localized in different parts of the brainb. Problems in Speech Productioni. 1860s- discovered by French surgeon and neuroanatomist named Pierre Paul Broca. Broca treated a series of patients who had difficulty speaking,but could comprehend written or spoken language due to brain damage to an area on the lower left frontal lobe.1. Area on the left hemisphere now is referred to as Broca’s area2. Plays a crucial role in speech productionc. The Corpus Callosumi. Corpus Callosum- brain tissue from the top of the brain has been cut away to expose the thick fibers of the corpus callosum, the structure that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain. ii. Cutting the Corpus Callosum1. Cutting the corpus callosum eliminates the transfer of information between the two hemispheres.2. Differences in hemispherical function were demonstrated after split-brain operation.3. Operation is used to stop or reduce recurring epileptic seizures in the corpus callosum.4. Researchers have concluded that in most people:a. The left hemisphere is superior in language abilities, speech, reading, and writing.b. The right hemisphere is more involved in nonverbal emotional expression and visual-spatial tasks.II. Gender and the Braina. Men’s brains tend to be larger than women’s brainsb. Women have a higher proportion of gray matter to white matter.c. Male brain is more asymmetrical and functions are more lateralized than in the female brain.d. Male brains appear to be optimized for network connections within each hemisphere. e. Female brains have better connections between hemispheres.f. Females have greater ability to integrate the left hemisphere’s verbal-analytical processing with right hemisphere’s spatial and holistic modes of information