Lateralized Brain Functions Methods In Human And Non Human Species

Cerebral Lateralization in Nonhuman Species explores brain asymmetries in animals and the extent to which such asymmetries relate, in an evolutionary and clinical sense, to the pervasive asymmetries that characterize the human brain. Topics covered include cerebral lateralization in birds, rats, and nonhuman primates; the inheritance of direction and degree of asymmetry in the brain; the morphology of rat forebrain; and variation in the pattern of behavioral and brain asymmetries due to sex differences. Comprised of 11 chapters, this book opens with a historical overview of research into the cerebral lateralization of structures and functions in nonhuman species. The discussion then turns to lateralization of vocal control in songbirds and lateralization of several behaviors in domestic chicks. The inheritance of direction and degree of asymmetry is also considered, along with the morphology of rat forebrains. The following chapters focus on asymmetries in anatomy and pathology in the rodent brain; the link between brain lateralization and behavioral functions; and how early experiences can induce laterality. The final chapter analyzes the implications of brain asymmetries for evolution, genetics, and clinical syndromes. This monograph will be a useful resource for students, neuroscientists, clinicians, and other practitioners in fields ranging from psychobiology and psychology to anatomical sciences, neurobiology, neurochemistry, and genetics.

Left-right asymmetries of structure and function are a common organization principle in the brains of humans and non-human vertebrates alike. While there are inherently asymmetric systems such as the human language system or the song system of songbirds, the impact of structural or functional asymmetries on perception, cognition and behavior is not necessarily limited to these systems. For example, performance in experimental paradigms that assess executive functions such as inhibition, planning or action monitoring is influenced by information processing in the bottom-up channel. Depending on the type of stimuli used, one hemisphere can be more efficient in processing than the other and these functional cerebral asymmetries have been shown to modulate the efficacy of executive functions via the bottom-up channel. We only begin to understand the complex neuronal mechanisms underlying this interaction between hemispheric asymmetries and cognitive systems. Therefore, it is the aim of this Research Topics to further elucidate how structural or functional hemispheric asymmetries modulate perception, cognition and behavior in the broadest sense.

Lateralization in the Nervous System reviews various aspects of lateralization in the nervous system, with emphasis on approaches such as the investigation of turning tendencies and electrocortical indices of hemispheric asymmetry. Experimental paradigms and outcomes that are applicable to both human and nonhuman species are highlighted. This book is comprised of 26 chapters and begins with an overview of functional lateralization in nonhuman species such as monkeys. Brain asymmetry is examined in context with other biological asymmetries in the quest for general mechanisms and principles of lateralization. The problem of inheritance, embryology, and development of asymmetry is also discussed from a variety of environmentalist and nativist perspectives. Highly suggestive invertebrate and avian models for lateralization are presented, along with the evidence for cerebral dominance and handedness in nonhuman species. Human clinical neuropsychological findings, such as the effects of unilateral cortical and thalamic lesions and the syndrome of unilateral neglect, are considered, together with asymmetries in perception and attention. This monograph will be of interest to psychologists (physiological, cognitive, developmental, and clinical), behavioral biologists, neuroscientists, neurologists, and psychiatrists, as well as to scholars and educators from the humanities and social sciences who are concerned with the nature and biological bases of left-right differences in brain, behavior, and thinking.

Background to the problem -- The Rubicon -- Language as miracle -- Language and natural selection -- The mental prerequisites -- Thinking without language -- Mind reading -- Stories -- Constructing language -- Hands on to language -- Finding voice -- How language is structured -- Over the Rubicon

This book is a collection of papers written by leaders in the field of lateralized brain function and behaviour in non-human animals. The papers cover the asymmetry of brain mechanisms and behaviour in a wide range of both vertebrate and invertebrate species. Each paper focuses on one of the following topics: the link between population-level lateralization and social behaviour; the processes in the avian brain that permit one brain hemisphere to take control of behaviour; lateralized attention to predators and the common pattern of lateralization in vertebrate species; visual and auditory lateralization; influences that alter the development of lateralization--specifically, the effect of temperature on the development of lateralization in sharks; and the importance of understanding lateralization when considering both the training and welfare of dogs. Collectively, these studies address questions of why different species have asymmetry of brain and behaviour, how it develops, and how this is dealt with by these different species. The papers report on the lateralization of different types of behaviour, each going beyond merely reporting the presence of asymmetry and shedding light on its function and on the mechanisms involved in its expression.

This book is a collection of papers written by leaders in the field of lateralized brain function and behaviour in non-human animals. The papers cover the asymmetry of brain mechanisms and behaviour in a wide range of both vertebrate and invertebrate species. Each paper focuses on one of the following topics: the link between population-level lateralization and social behaviour; the processes in the avian brain that permit one brain hemisphere to take control of behaviour; lateralized attention to predators and the common pattern of lateralization in vertebrate species; visual and auditory lateralization; influences that alter the development of lateralization—specifically, the effect of temperature on the development of lateralization in sharks; and the importance of understanding lateralization when considering both the training and welfare of dogs. Collectively, these studies address questions of why different species have asymmetry of brain and behaviour, how it develops, and how this is dealt with by these different species. The papers report on the lateralization of different types of behaviour, each going beyond merely reporting the presence of asymmetry and shedding light on its function and on the mechanisms involved in its expression.

Laterality: Functional Asymmetry in the Intact Brain focuses on brain function and laterality as well as the various methods in assessing behavioral asymmetries, including handedness. It reviews the literature on perceptual-cognitive laterality effects in different sensory modalities, the lateralization of emotion and motor behavior, and the electrophysiological evidence. It also highlights some of the problems with the existing research and offers suggestions about the direction of future research. Organized into 17 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of cerebral asymmetry and the origins and mechanisms of lateralization. Then, it discusses the individual differences in laterality, methods and measurement used in laterality studies, and experiments on dichotic listening and auditory lateralization. The next chapters focus on the link between verbal laterality and handedness, tactual and perceptual laterality, asymmetry of motor performance, lateralization of emotional processes, and physiological measures of asymmetry. The book also introduces the handedness and its relation to cerebral function, genetics of laterality, development of cerebral lateralization, individual differences in cerebral organization, sex differences in laterality, reading- and language-related deficits, and control of the active hemisphere before concluding with a chapter discussing the experimental or strategy effects, the concept of complementary specialization, and the dichotomy between the two hemispheres of the brain. This book is a valuable resource for neuropsychologists, experimental psychologists, neurologists, and educators interested in understanding human brain function.

This book explores afresh the long-standing interest, and emphasis on, the `special' capacities of primates. Some of the recent discoveries of the higher cognitive abilities of other mammals and also birds challenge the concept that primates are special and even the view that the cognitive ability of apes is more advanced than that of nonprimate mammals and birds. It is therefore timely to ask whether primates are, in fact, special and to do so from a broad range of perspectives. Divided into five sections this book deals with topics about higher cognition and how it is manifested in different species, and also considers aspects of brain structure that might be associated with complex behavior.

Functional cerebral specialization is a phenomenon of considerable relevance not only to those investigating normal brain function, but also to scientists who study and treat clinical populations. This special issue of "Laterality" brings together contributions from researchers studying human populations and those using animal models, and includes a discussion of the important issues in the field of lateralization of function. The papers address the origins of laterality and the nature of lateralized functions in various species, as well as relations among the different forms of lateralization. Included are such topics as lateralized memory processes, early experiential effects on laterality, the genetic basis of handedness, perceptual processing in the haptic or visual domain, and learning. Comparisons between human and non-human primate findings and the implications of these findings for our understanding of the phylogenetic basis of hemispheric specialization are also emphasized.; The papers are based on presentations at two symposia that took place in August 1996: "Issues in Laterality", held at the International Congress of Psychology in Montreal; and "Laterality and Hemispheric Specialization in Primates: Brain Behavior and Evolution", held at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, at the joint meetings of the "XVI Congress of the International Primatological Society" and the "XIX Conference of the American Society of Primatologists".