heilasvæði

Heilasvæði is a term used to refer to the distinct anatomical areas of the brain, each associated with particular functions or networks. The brain is organized into major divisions, including the cerebrum (with the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes), the cerebellum, and the brainstem (midbrain, pons, and medulla). Subcortical structures such as the thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, hippocampus, and amygdala form interconnected circuits that regulate movement, emotion, memory, and autonomic functions.

Functional localization is a central concept in neuroscience: different regions contribute to different aspects of perception, action, language, memory, and cognition. For example, the motor cortex in the frontal lobe initiates voluntary movement, the somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobe processes touch and proprioception, the visual cortex in the occipital lobe interprets visual input, and the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe processes sound. Language is traditionally associated with Broca’s area in the frontal lobe and Wernicke’s area in the temporal lobe, though language networks are widely distributed.

Methods to study heilasvæði include neuroimaging (fMRI, PET), electrophysiology, tractography, and lesion studies. Knowledge of brain regions is essential for understanding normal function as well as the effects of injury or disease. Variation exists across individuals and species, and neural plasticity can alter the organization of brain regions after injury or during development. Clinically, localized damage can produce region-specific deficits, such as aphasia from left perisylvian areas or spatial neglect from parietal damage.