Dr Robin Gerrits | Variability of brain hemispheric specialization: One side does not fit all

According to textbook descriptions of the functional organization of the human brain, the left hemisphere predominantly governs cognitive functions such as speech and manual praxis, while the right hemisphere assumes dominant control over other functions, including spatial attention and face recognition. However, this stereotypical ‘hemispheric division of labor’ does not account for every person. In fact, mounting evidence suggests that deviations from the typical pattern of functional hemispheric segregation are quite common.

Moreover, individuals vary significantly in the extent to which the dominant and non-dominant hemispheres contribute to any given lateralized cognitive function. During this talk, I will discuss the state-of-the-art in research on individual differences in hemispheric organization, including my own work. The first part of the talk will highlight studies on the variability in functional hemispheric segregation and its implications for models of brain function lateralization. The second part will zoom in on the nature of individual differences in hemispheric dominance for speech production.