[Cerebral lateralization and immune response]

Clinical and experimental observations show that the central nervous system can modulate the immune system. Surprisingly, brain immunomodulation may be lateralized as evidenced by two different experimental approaches. The first one consists in unilateral ablation of the brain cortex in rodents. Several lymphocyte and macrophage functions are depressed after lesion of the left cortex whereas the same functions are unchanged or enhanced after symmetrical right ablation. This animal model, useful to elucidate the mechanisms whereby the brain and the immune system can communicate, appears to be suitable for studying the immune perturbations observed during stroke. The second approach is a behavioral one. In humans, an association between left handedness and immune disorders has been described. Likewise, in animals, a lateralized behavior appears to be related to lymphocyte reactivity. Brain asymmetry in neuroimmunomodulation will have an important bearing on theoretical and clinical considerations.