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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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 7, 2025

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Contralateral Limb Specificity for Movement Preparation in the Parietal Reach Region.

Eric Mooshagian1,2, Eric A Yttri3,4, Arthur D Loewy3

  • 1Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110 emooshagian@ucsd.edu.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|January 8, 2022
PubMed
Summary

Motor control is primarily contralateral. Inactivating the parietal reach region in monkeys showed similar movement deficits after unilateral or bilateral inactivation, indicating contralateral control of reaching preparation.

Keywords:
intraparietal sulcusmuscimolposterior parietal cortexreachvisuomotor

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Motor Control Research
  • Primate Studies

Background:

  • The traditional view posits that motor control is strictly contralateral, with unilateral brain lesions affecting only the opposite limb.
  • However, this view is challenged as intact pathways from the non-lesioned hemisphere might mask deficits in the ipsilesional limb.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the contribution of the parietal reach region to motor control.
  • To differentiate between strictly contralateral and potentially bilateral control of limb movements.

Main Methods:

  • Serial inactivation of the parietal reach region in both hemispheres of two monkeys.
  • Analysis of reach reaction times and saccadic eye movements following unilateral and bilateral inactivation.

Main Results:

  • Unilateral inactivation of the parietal reach region slowed reach reaction times in the contralesional limb.
  • No significant effect was observed on ipsilesional limb reaches or saccadic eye movements after unilateral inactivation.
  • Bilateral inactivation resulted in similar movement initiation deficits in both limbs as unilateral inactivation.

Conclusions:

  • The findings support a contralateral organization for reach preparation within the posterior parietal cortex.
  • This study provides evidence that motor control, specifically reaching, is predominantly organized contralaterally.