AQA A-LEVEL: Biopsychology - Split Brain Research
SPLIT BRAIN RESEARCH BACKGROUND In cases of severe epilepsy, surgery can be done to remove the CORPUS COLLUSUM which connects the left and right HEMISPHERES. CORPUS CALLOSUM is responsible for hemispheric communication through nerve fibres called commission fibres In split brain pts, hemispheric communication does not occur PROCESSES INVOLVED IN SPLIT BRAIN RESEARCH Split brain pts have a split visual field. Pts sat in front of a screen and were asked to gaze at a fixed point in the centre. Visual stimuli projected to the right visual field (RVF) or left visual field (LVF) at a high speed, so there's no chance for them to move their head ~~> They're only able to process the image in the visual field it was placed in. FINDINGS OF SPERRY RESEARCH When words were projected to LVF (goes to the Right hemisphere) the words did not register as the left hemisphere is for language so words need to be presented to the RVF to be registered. EVAL...