Hemispheric Communication

Book excerpt: The purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive overview of the way in which the two hemispheres of the brain interact. Some chapters address the nature of this interaction, the anatomical substrates that may account for greater or lesser hemispheric interaction, and the role of sex and handedness in hemispheric interaction. Others address the use of different experimental methods and clinical populations to understand the nature of hemispheric interaction. In addition to current research, this book also provides an important historical overview of the early research questions about hemispheric function and interaction that have helped to shape current views of and approaches to the study of brain function. Special coverage includes: * a comprehensive history of early research on cerebral laterality and hemispheric communication, including work by Pavlov; * a critical analysis of techniques and methologies to study hemispheric communication; * research on anatomical substrates which may underly functional differences between hemispheres and hemispheric communication; * implications of handedness for hemispheric communication; * research on individual differences in hemispheric function; * comprehensive research on sex and handedness from physiological, anatomical, and functional perspectives; and * attentional differences in hemispheric function.