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Brain, Vol. 124, No. 8, 1657-1665, August 2001
© 2001 Oxford University Press

Behavioural relevance of atypical language lateralization in healthy subjects

S. Knecht, B. Dräger, A. Flöel, H. Lohmann, C. Breitenstein, M. Deppe, H. Henningsen and E.-B. Ringelstein

Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Germany

Correspondence to: Stefan Knecht, Department of Neurology, University of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Strasse 33, D-48129 Münster, Germany E-mail: knecht{at}uni-muenster.de

In most humans, language is lateralized to the left side of the brain. It has been speculated that this hemispheric specialization is a prerequisite for the full realization of linguistic potential. Using standardized questionnaires and performance measures, we attempted to determine if there are behavioural correlates of atypical, i.e. right-hemispheric and bilateral, language lateralization. The side and degree of language lateralization were determined by measuring the hemispheric perfusion differences by functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography during a word generation task in healthy volunteers. Subjects with left (n = 264), bilateral (n = 31) or right (n = 31) hemisphere language representation did not differ significantly with respect to mastery of foreign languages, academic achievement, artistic talents, verbal fluency or (as assessed in a representative subgroup) in intelligence or speed of linguistic processing. These findings suggest that atypical hemispheric specialization for language, i.e. right-hemisphere or bilateral specialization, is not associated with major impairments of linguistic faculties in otherwise healthy subjects.


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