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Updated: Jul 15, 2025

Assessment of Cerebral Lateralization in Children using Functional Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound fTCD
Published on: September 27, 2010
Patterns of language and visuospatial functional lateralization and cognitive ability: a systematic review
Josephine E Quin-Conroy1, Donna M Bayliss1, Sabrina G Daniell1
1School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
This review found little evidence that typical brain lateralization offers a cognitive advantage. Atypical patterns may be linked to poorer language and spatial skills, but more research is needed.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Functional lateralization, typically left-hemisphere language and right-hemisphere visuospatial processing, is thought to provide cognitive benefits.
- Deviations from typical lateralization patterns may be associated with cognitive deficits.
Approach:
- A systematic review of 9,122 studies was conducted, analyzing 17 selected studies.
- The review assessed the association between language and visuospatial lateralization patterns and cognitive abilities.
Key Points:
- Limited evidence supports a cognitive advantage for typical brain lateralization patterns.
- Atypical lateralization showed associations with reduced language comprehension, spatial ability, and reading skills.
- Further research is required to validate these associations.
Conclusions:
- Future studies should focus on larger samples of atypical participants.
- Investigating the strength of lateralization and bilaterality is recommended for a comprehensive analysis.
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