Lateralization of brain function: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:53, 2 April 2006

Revision as of 07:57, 13 April 2006

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==Which side?==

[[Reason]]ing functions such as [[language]] are often lateralized to the left hemisphere of the brain. [[Dyscalculia]] is a [[neurology|neurological]] syndrome associated with damage to the left [[temporal lobe|temporal]]-[[parietal lobe|parietal]] junction{{anref|Levy}}. This syndrome is associated with poor number manipulation, poor mental [[arithmetic]], and an inability to understand or apply mathematical concepts[http://www.dyscalculia.org/calc.html].

In contrast, visual and [[music]] functions such as spatial manipulation, [[face perception|facial perception]], and artistic ability seem to be lateralized to the right hemisphere.

Other integrative functions such as intuitive or heuristic arithmetic, binaural sound localization, [[emotion]]s, etc. seem to be more bilaterally controlled{{anref|Dehaene}}.

==History==

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===Split-brain patients===

Research by [[Michael Gazzaniga]] and [[Roger Wolcott Sperry]] in the [[1960s]] on [[split-brain]] patients led to an even greater understanding of functional laterality. Split-brain patients are patients who have undergone corpus callosotomy (usually as a treatment for severe epilepsy), a severing of the [[corpus callosum]]. The corpus callosum connects the two hemispheres of the brain and allows them to communicate. When these connections are cut, the two halves of the brain act independently of one another. This led to many interesting [[behavior]]al phenomena that allowed Gazzaniga and Sperry to study the contributions of each hemisphere to various cognitive and perceptual processes. One of their main findings was that the right hemisphere was capable of rudimentary language processing, but often has no lexical or grammatical abilities{{anref|Kandel}}.

==See also==