Lurias schema

Background
Who was AR Luria?
-Psychologist & Neurologist
-Considered the father of Neuro-psychology
(at least in the USSR)
-Interested in the relationship between
Structure & Function
Researched focuses:
(1) The Socio-historical Determination of the Human Psyche,
(2) The Biological (Genetic) Determination of the Human Psyche,
(3) Higher Psychological Functions Mediated by Signs-Symbols;
The Verbal System as the Main System of Signs
(along with Luria's well-known three part differentiation of it),

(4) The Systematic Organization of Psychological Functions and Consciousness ,

(5) Cerebral Mechanisms of the Mind (Brain and Psyche);
Links between Psychology and Physiology,
(6) The Relationship between Theory and Practice

Homskaya, Chapter VIII, pp. 82-101

Researched focuses:
(1) The Socio-historical Determination of the Human Psyche,
(2) The Biological (Genetic) Determination of the Human Psyche,
(3) Higher Psychological Functions Mediated by Signs-Symbols;
The Verbal System as the Main System of Signs
(4) The Systematic Organization of Psychological Functions and Consciousness ,
(5) Cerebral Mechanisms of the Mind (Brain and Psyche);
Links between Psychology and Physiology,
(6) The Relationship between Theory and Practice

Homskaya, Chapter VIII, pp. 82-101

Lurias classification
1.) Primary sensory-motor zone
a.) Visual, Auditory, Somatosensory, Motor
2.) Secondary
a.) unimodal association
3.) Tertiary zones
a.) cross-modal association
To understand Lurias schema. . .
Understand his theory of the working brain

Luria proposed that in any mental function required

participation of all functional units
Functional Units and Zones
Hierarchical Model of Cortical Function
Components of Lurias schema
-2 distinct functional units
a.) sensory (visual, auditory, somatosensory)
b.) motor
-zones within each unit and each zone has a distinct
function that contributes to function
i.) tertiary
ii.) secondary
iii.) primary
Linking structure (units & zones) with mental
function
Units are involved in:
Regulating cortical tone or waking
Obtaining, processing, and storing information from the
outside world
Programming, regulating, and verifying mental activity
Functional Units and Zones
How the zones interact within each unit
Primary zone: Projection area receives impulses from or sends
impulses to the periphery.
Secondary zone: Projection-association area processes
incoming information and programs information for projection to
efferent pathways.
Tertiary zone: Overlapping area is last to develop and is
responsible for complex forms of mental activity which requires
the integrated participation of many cortical structures
First unit: Sensory

Primary-external stimuli is
activates the sensory system.
Secondary-information
associated with other areas
within same sense modality
Tertiary-Associate information
from multiple senses and
possibly motor too
 Second Functional Unit: Motor

Primary: employ modality-

specific groups of neurons to
receive impulses from sensory
organs
Secondary: surround primary
zones with associative neurons
Tertiary: Integrates and
organizes incoming neural
activity from sensory structures
Conclusions
Model for cognitive psychophysiology
Links cognitive processes within respective
functional units
Units reflect topographic brain mapping

Marlin L. Languis & Daniel C. Miller (1992) Luria's Theory of Brain Functioning: A Model for Research in
Cognitive Psychophysiology, Educational Psychologist, 27:4, 493-511, DOI: 10.1207/s15326985ep2704_6