Nico Addae Miss Minds

I hate it when my titles feel longer than the blog post itself. It’s much simpler than it sounds: these are experiments that combines several experiments that act as ‘Block and Determine’ situations that establish a connection between two parts of the brain and its function.

I’ll make it even easier for you! I’ll list them in bullet points.

Note: This does NOT describe dissociative disorders, i.e. mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and other dissociative disorders.

Single Dissociation

• Used as preliminary research for establishing a connection
• There are two regions of the brain, X and Y
• There is a task A
• When region X is damaged or lesioned, the person cannot do A
• However when region Y is damaged or lesioned, the person can still do A

In single dissociation, when a part of the brain is blocked, a function can be correlated to the patient’s lost of function from that particular lesion.

Double Dissociation

• Used to find compelling evidence for a particular theory
• There are two regions of the brain, X and Y
• There are tasks A AND B
• When region X is damaged or lesioned, the person cannot do A, BUT can do B
• When region Y is damaged or lesioned, the person can still do A, BUT cannot do B

In double dissociation, the problem and triumph one participant has because of a brain lesion in a part of the brain is the opposite problem for the person with a brain lesion in another area.