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Lateralization

Lateralization

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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Cerebral Hemispheres

The human brain, a complex organ, is functionally divided into two cerebral hemispheres—left and right. These hemispheres are interconnected by a structure of paramount importance, the corpus callosum. This substantial bundle of neural fibers is not just a bridge between the hemispheres but a crucial element for the brain's comprehensive functioning. It enables efficient communication between the two hemispheres, allowing each side of the brain to control and receive sensory and motor...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Efficiently Recording the Eye-Hand Coordination to Incoordination Spectrum

Efficiently Recording the Eye-Hand Coordination to Incoordination Spectrum

Published on: March 21, 2019

Evidence for an Active Handoff between Hemispheres during Target Tracking.

Matthew B Broschard¹, Jefferson E Roy¹, Scott L Brincat¹

¹The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|September 19, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The brain coordinates information transfer between hemispheres using an active "handshaking" process. Neural activity, particularly alpha and theta power, signals the handoff of attention for a unified perception.

Keywords:

interhemispheric transfer prefrontal cortex rhesus macaque target tracking

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Transferring Cognitive Tasks Between Brain Imaging Modalities: Implications for Task Design and Results Interpretation in fMRI Studies

Transferring Cognitive Tasks Between Brain Imaging Modalities: Implications for Task Design and Results Interpretation in fMRI Studies

Published on: September 22, 2014

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Neuroscience
Primate Research

Background:

The brain exhibits lateralization of cognitive resources between hemispheres.
Despite lateralization, perception remains unified, necessitating interhemispheric coordination.
Understanding information transfer mechanisms between cerebral hemispheres is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying information transfer between cerebral hemispheres.
To identify specific brain activity patterns associated with interhemispheric coordination during attention shifts.

Main Methods:

Recorded bilateral neural activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex of nonhuman primates.
Monitored neural signals (beta, gamma, alpha, theta power, and spiking activity) during covert visual target tracking.
Analyzed brain activity as a target moved between visual hemifields.

Main Results:

Beta and gamma power, along with spiking information, correlated with sensory processing of the visual target.
Alpha power increased before hemifield crossing, suggesting anticipatory attention.
Theta power peaked post-crossing, indicating completion of information transfer.
Spiking information also showed anticipatory and completion-related patterns.

Conclusions:

Neural activity, specifically alpha and theta oscillations, supports an active 'handshaking' mechanism for interhemispheric information transfer.
This neural handshaking is vital for seamless integration of information across visual fields.
The findings provide insights into how the brain maintains a unified perception despite hemispheric specialization.