The Role of Psychology in Functional Localization Research

Extract

It takes no more than a passing acquaintance with functional localization research in the neurosciences to notice that psychological notions often come into play in the characterization of human brain functions. In the past, such notions were taken primarily from one form or another of associationism; currently, they are adopted from the language of information processing. A rather typical example can be found in a recent article by A.R. Luria (see also). He describes the human brain as made up of three main blocks incorporating basic functions. These functions are described as follows:

The first block regulates the energy level and tone of the cortex, providing it with a stable basis for the organization of its various processes …. The second block … plays a decisive role in the analysis, coding and storage of information …. We can easily identify areas in the second block that are respectively responsible for the analysis of optic, acoustic, cutaneous and kinesthetic stimuli.