Sensory information is fed into an explanatory module which Gazzaniga calls The Interpreter, and studying split-brain patients showed him that it resides in
the left hemisphere of the brain
.
What is the interpreter function of the left hemisphere?
The left hemisphere interpreter refers to a function in the left hemisphere of the brain that
search for and produce causal explanations for events, behaviours and feelings
, even though no such apparent pattern exists between them.
What part of the brain is known as the interpreter?
The left-brain interpreter
is a neuropsychological concept developed by the psychologist Michael S. Gazzaniga and the neuroscientist Joseph E. LeDoux. It refers to the construction of explanations by the left brain hemisphere
What is the interpreter theory?
The interpreter theory says that
decision-making, judgment, perception, and virtually everything else that takes place in the brain is unconscious
, and that what we understand as conscious thought is a distinct process that after the fact generates explanations for our actions and our experiences.
Who are split-brain patients?
Split-brain patients constitute a
small subpopulation of epileptic patients who have received the surgical resection of the callosal fibers
in an attempt to reduce the spread of epileptic foci between the cerebral hemispheres.
Can split brain patients read?
But this is dramatically embodied in a split-brain patient, who
may not be able to read aloud a
word such as ‘pan’ when it’s presented to the right hemisphere, but can point to the appropriate drawing.
What hemisphere of the brain does control of the emotional content of speech depends on?
Most language production and processing occur in the left hemisphere while the majority of the emotional processing and production of emotion in speech occurs in
the right hemisphere
.
Is the right side of the brain conscious?
Self-awareness and Theory of Mind comprise the main elements of higher-order consciousness. In attempting to localize these abilities, it appears that regions of the right hemisphere including
fronto-temporal regions
are capable of sustaining a sense of self-awareness.
What side of the brain is consciousness?
It is the
left brain
that we associate with linguistic consciousness. In contrast, the right half of the brain cannot read, spell, or write and cannot understand many aspects of human speech except for a few simple words, particularly those that are emotional.
Do split brain patients have two consciousness?
Instead, the researchers behind the study, led by UvA psychologist Yair Pinto, have found strong evidence showing that despite being characterised by little to no communication between the right and left brain hemispheres,
split brain does not cause two independent conscious perceivers in one brain
.
What happens when you have a split-brain?
Control. In general, split-brained patients
behave in a coordinated, purposeful and consistent manner
, despite the independent, parallel, usually different and occasionally conflicting processing of the same information from the environment by the two disconnected hemispheres.
What are the side effects of split-brain surgery?
- Loss of coordination or balance problems.
- More partial seizures on one side of the brain.
- Speech problems, including trouble producing speech (apraxia) and trouble speaking and comprehending (aphasia).
- Stroke.
- Swelling in the brain.
What do split-brain studies reveal?
What came out of the split brain experiments? The studies demonstrated that
the left and right hemispheres are specialized in different tasks
. The left side of the brain is normally specialized in taking care of the analytical and verbal tasks.
What do split-brain patients struggle with?
Since information cannot be directly shared between the two hemispheres, split-brain patients display unusual behaviours, particularly concerning
speech and object recognition
.
What is Callosal syndrome?
Callosal syndrome, or split-brain, is
an example of a disconnection syndrome from damage to the corpus callosum between the two hemispheres of the brain
. Disconnection syndrome can also lead to aphasia, left-sided apraxia, and tactile aphasia, among other symptoms.
What happens if your corpus callosum is damaged?
Lesions of any part of the corpus callosum might lead to loss of contact between bilateral hemispheres that cause mental disorders,
pseudobulbar palsy, speech and movement ataxia
.
