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Neurostructural correlates of consistent and weak handedness
Alessandra McDowell1, Adam Felton1, David Vazquez1
1a Department of Psychology , University of California , Riverside , CA , USA.
Laterality
|October 16, 2015
Summary
Weak handers show reduced brain structural asymmetry compared to consistent handers. This difference in brain lateralization affects areas crucial for cognitive control and action, not just motor functions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Cognitive differences exist between consistent and weak handers.
- Neurobiological underpinnings of handedness strength remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cortical structural lateralization and corpus callosum volume in relation to handedness strength.
- To identify potential neurostructural bases for differences between consistent and weak handers.
Main Methods:
- Examined a large, well-matched sample of young adults (N=164).
- Assessed global and regional cortical asymmetries in grey matter, white matter, surface area, thickness, and gyrification.
- Measured corpus callosum volume.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in corpus callosum volume between groups.
- Weak handers exhibited reduced or absent global hemispheric asymmetries in multiple cortical measures compared to consistent handers.
- Reduced gyrification asymmetry was prominent in weak handers around the central sulcus and parietal association cortex.
Conclusions:
- Handedness strength is associated with differences in structural brain lateralization.
- These lateralization differences extend beyond somatomotor regions to areas involved in higher-level cognitive control of action.
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