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Looking at Both Sides: Integrating Data From Both Hemispheres Is Crucial in Rodent Neuroscience
Annakarina Mundorf1, Sebastian Ocklenburg2,3,4
1Medical School Hamburg, Institute for Systems Medicine and Department of Human Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|September 6, 2025
Summary
Rodent research in neuroscience significantly overlooks brain lateralization, with few studies investigating hemispheric asymmetries. A greater focus on this area is crucial for understanding brain organization and neurological disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Comparative Psychology
- Brain Research
Background:
- Rodent models dominate neuroscience research, with thousands of studies published annually.
- Hemispheric asymmetries are well-studied in humans but underrepresented in rodent research.
- A significant gap exists in understanding brain lateralization in rodents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the underrepresentation of hemispheric asymmetry research in rodent models.
- To emphasize the importance of studying brain lateralization in rodents.
- To advocate for a shift in research priorities towards brain lateralization in rodents.
Main Methods:
- A targeted PubMed search was conducted using rodent-related keywords.
- A secondary search focused on asymmetry-related terms within rodent studies.
- Analysis of publication data from the European Journal of Neuroscience was performed.
Main Results:
- Over 8700 rodent-based neuroscience studies were identified.
- Only 24 studies explicitly addressed hemispheric asymmetries.
- This represents a minimal focus on brain lateralization in rodent research.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical underappreciation of brain lateralization in rodent models.
- Further investigation into rodent brain lateralization is needed.
- Understanding brain lateralization in rodents can advance neuroscience and inform neurological disorder research.
