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Lateralization

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.

Vision

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

Visual System

Visual System

Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex

The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at the...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

Published on: March 18, 2019

A lateralized brain network for visuospatial attention.

Michel Thiebaut de Schotten¹, Flavio Dell'Acqua, Stephanie J Forkel

¹Natbrainlab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK. michel.thiebaut@gmail.com

Nature Neuroscience

|September 20, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Most humans show right hemisphere dominance for visuospatial attention. This study finds a larger right parieto-frontal network, linking anatomical asymmetry to performance differences in visuospatial tasks.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity

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Published on: March 18, 2019

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Published on: March 25, 2011

Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention

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Published on: November 16, 2017

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Neuroanatomy

Background:

Visuospatial attention typically shows right hemisphere dominance in humans.
The underlying anatomical basis for this hemispheric specialization remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the anatomical basis of right hemisphere dominance for visuospatial attention.
To explore the relationship between brain structure asymmetry and visuospatial task performance.

Main Methods:

Utilized neuroimaging techniques to compare the parieto-frontal network size between hemispheres.
Correlated anatomical lateralization with performance asymmetry on visuospatial tasks.

Main Results:

Identified a significantly larger parieto-frontal network in the right hemisphere compared to the left.
Found a significant correlation between the degree of anatomical lateralization and performance asymmetry.

Conclusions:

The findings provide the first human evidence for a larger right parieto-frontal network supporting visuospatial attention.
Hemispheric specialization in visuospatial processing is associated with unbalanced processing speed and anatomical asymmetry.