Explain one study related to localisation of function in the brain.

Localisation of function in the brain refers to the idea that specific areas of the brain have different or unique functions. A study that supports this idea and provided insight into the role of specific regions in the brain is the case study of H.M. After sustaining a brain injury at a young age, H.M. began suffering from extreme epileptic seizures. In order to stop these seizures, he underwent experimental brain surgery during which the neurosurgeon removed tissues from the medial temporal lobe, including the hippocampus. After the procedure, H.M. suffered from anterograde amnesia thus could not create new episodic and semantic memories, however, he was able to learn some new procedural memories.

Through this case, several conclusions could be drawn regarding localisation of function in the brain. For example, it is evident that the hippocampus and surrounding regions play a crucial role in moving short-term memories to long-term storage and that procedural memories are not associated nor stored in the hippocampus. Additionally, it supports the idea that the brain has several memory systems that are supported by distinct brain regions and that the hippocampus is not the only structure involved in the process.

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Answered by Whitney G. Psychology tutor

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