Brain, Vol. 123, No. 7, 1293-1326,
July 2000
© 2000 Oxford University Press
Invited review |
Cerebral specialization and interhemispheric communication
Does the corpus callosum enable the human condition?
Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
Correspondence to:
Michael S. Gazzaniga, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
The surgical disconnection of the cerebral hemispheres creates an extraordinary opportunity to study basic neurological mechanisms: the organization of the sensory and motors systems, the cortical representation of the perceptual and cognitive processes, the lateralization of function, and, perhaps most importantly, how the divided brain yields clues to the nature of conscious experience. Studies of split-brain patients over the last 40 years have resulted in numerous insights into the processes of perception, attention, memory, language and reasoning abilities. When the constellation of findings is considered as a whole, one sees the cortical arena as a patchwork of specialized processes. When this is considered in the light of new studies on the lateralization of functions, it becomes reasonable to suppose that the corpus callosum has enabled the development of the many specialized systems by allowing the reworking of existing cortical areas while preserving existing functions. Thus, while language emerged in the left hemisphere at the cost of pre-existing perceptual systems, the critical features of the bilaterally present perceptual system were spared in the opposite half-brain. By having the callosum serve as the great communication link between redundant systems, a pre-existing system could be jettisoned as new functions developed in one hemisphere, while the other hemisphere could continue to perform the previous functions for both half-brains. Split-brain studies have also revealed the complex mosaic of mental processes that participate in human cognition. And yet, even though each cerebral hemisphere has its own set of capacities, with the left hemisphere specialized for language and speech and major problem-solving capacities and the right hemisphere specialized for tasks such as facial recognition and attentional monitoring, we all have the subjective experience of feeling totally integrated. Indeed, even though many of these functions have an automatic quality to them and are carried out by the brain prior to our conscious awareness of them, our subjective belief and feeling is that we are in charge of our actions. These phenomena appear to be related to our left hemisphere's interpreter, a device that allows us to construct theories about the relationship between perceived events, actions and feelings.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. Dadda, E. Zandona, C. Agrillo, and A. Bisazza The costs of hemispheric specialization in a fish Proc R Soc B, December 22, 2009; 276(1677): 4399 - 4407. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Magat and C. Brown Laterality enhances cognition in Australian parrots Proc R Soc B, December 7, 2009; 276(1676): 4155 - 4162. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C.-E. Valencia-Alfonso, J. Verhaal, and O. Gunturkun Ascending and descending mechanisms of visual lateralization in pigeons Phil Trans R Soc B, April 12, 2009; 364(1519): 955 - 963. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. R. Jordan, K. B. Paterson, and S. Kurtev Reevaluating split-fovea processing in word recognition: Hemispheric dominance, retinal location, and the word-nonword effect Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, March 1, 2009; 9(1): 113 - 121. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. Josse, M. L. Seghier, F. Kherif, and C. J. Price Explaining Function with Anatomy: Language Lateralization and Corpus Callosum Size J. Neurosci., December 24, 2008; 28(52): 14132 - 14139. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Stout, N. Toth, K. Schick, and T. Chaminade Neural correlates of Early Stone Age toolmaking: technology, language and cognition in human evolution Phil Trans R Soc B, June 12, 2008; 363(1499): 1939 - 1949. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. C. Putnam, G. S. Wig, S. T. Grafton, W. M. Kelley, and M. S. Gazzaniga Structural Organization of the Corpus Callosum Predicts the Extent and Impact of Cortical Activity in the Nondominant Hemisphere J. Neurosci., March 12, 2008; 28(11): 2912 - 2918. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y. Saito, K. Nobuhara, G. Okugawa, K. Takase, T. Sugimoto, M. Horiuchi, C. Ueno, M. Maehara, N. Omura, H. Kurokawa, et al. Corpus Callosum in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Diffusion-Tensor Imaging Study Radiology, February 1, 2008; 246(2): 536 - 542. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Wahl, B. Lauterbach-Soon, E. Hattingen, P. Jung, O. Singer, S. Volz, J. C. Klein, H. Steinmetz, and U. Ziemann Human Motor Corpus Callosum: Topography, Somatotopy, and Link between Microstructure and Function J. Neurosci., November 7, 2007; 27(45): 12132 - 12138. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. Aydin, A. Ucok, and S. Cakir Quantitative Proton MR Spectroscopy Findings in the Corpus Callosum of Patients with Schizophrenia Suggest Callosal Disconnection AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., November 1, 2007; 28(10): 1968 - 1974. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 V. Goel, M. Tierney, L. Sheesley, A. Bartolo, O. Vartanian, and J. Grafman Hemispheric Specialization in Human Prefrontal Cortex for Resolving Certain and Uncertain Inferences Cereb Cortex, October 1, 2007; 17(10): 2245 - 2250. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. D. Hopkins, L. Dunham, C. Cantalupo, and J. Taglialatela The Association between Handedness, Brain Asymmetries, and Corpus Callosum Size in Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) Cereb Cortex, August 1, 2007; 17(8): 1757 - 1765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Babiloni, F. Vecchio, S. Rossi, A. De Capua, S. Bartalini, M. Ulivelli, and P. M. Rossini Human Ventral Parietal Cortex Plays a Functional Role on Visuospatial Attention and Primary Consciousness. A Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Study Cereb Cortex, June 1, 2007; 17(6): 1486 - 1492. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Glazewski, B. L. Benedetti, and A. L. Barth Ipsilateral Whiskers Suppress Experience-Dependent Plasticity in the Barrel Cortex J. Neurosci., April 4, 2007; 27(14): 3910 - 3920. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. E. Stephan, J. C. Marshall, W. D. Penny, K. J. Friston, and G. R. Fink Interhemispheric Integration of Visual Processing during Task-Driven Lateralization J. Neurosci., March 28, 2007; 27(13): 3512 - 3522. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Ban, H. Yamamoto, M. Fukunaga, A. Nakagoshi, M. Umeda, C. Tanaka, and Y. Ejima Toward a Common Circle: Interhemispheric Contextual Modulation in Human Early Visual Areas. J. Neurosci., August 23, 2006; 26(34): 8804 - 8809. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. L. R. Gonzalez, T. Ganel, and M. A. Goodale Hemispheric Specialization for the Visual Control of Action Is Independent of Handedness J Neurophysiol, June 1, 2006; 95(6): 3496 - 3501. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Harris-Love and L. G. Cohen High Level Bilateral Talks. Focus on "Effect of Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Interhemispheric Inhibition" J Neurophysiol, September 1, 2005; 94(3): 1664 - 1665. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Mohr, C. M. Michel, G. Lantz, S. Ortigue, I. Viaud-Delmon, and T. Landis Brain State-dependent Functional Hemispheric Specialization in Men but not in Women Cereb Cortex, September 1, 2005; 15(9): 1451 - 1458. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. N. Rajah and M. D'Esposito Region-specific changes in prefrontal function with age: a review of PET and fMRI studies on working and episodic memory Brain, September 1, 2005; 128(9): 1964 - 1983. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Goel and O. Vartanian Dissociating the Roles of Right Ventral Lateral and Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex in Generation and Maintenance of Hypotheses in Set-shift Problems Cereb Cortex, August 1, 2005; 15(8): 1170 - 1177. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 I. Shrira and L. L. Martin Stereotyping, Self-Affirmation, and the Cerebral Hemispheres Pers Soc Psychol Bull, June 1, 2005; 31(6): 846 - 856. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. L. Sakai, Y. Tatsuno, K. Suzuki, H. Kimura, and Y. Ichida Sign and speech: amodal commonality in left hemisphere dominance for comprehension of sentences Brain, June 1, 2005; 128(6): 1407 - 1417. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J.-P. Royet and J. Plailly Lateralization of Olfactory Processes Chem Senses, October 1, 2004; 29(8): 731 - 745. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Spitzer, C. Willert, H.-J. Grabe, T. Rizos, B. Moller, and H. J. Freyberger Dissociation, Hemispheric Asymmetry, and Dysfunction of Hemispheric Interaction: A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Approach J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, May 1, 2004; 16(2): 163 - 169. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P Brambilla, M Nicoletti, R B Sassi, A G Mallinger, E Frank, M S Keshavan, and J C Soares Corpus callosum signal intensity in patients with bipolar and unipolar disorder J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, February 1, 2004; 75(2): 221 - 225. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. E. Stephan, J. C. Marshall, K. J. Friston, J. B. Rowe, A. Ritzl, K. Zilles, and G. R. Fink Lateralized Cognitive Processes and Lateralized Task Control in the Human Brain Science, July 18, 2003; 301(5631): 384 - 386. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. A. Gusnard, J. M. Ollinger, G. L. Shulman, C. R. Cloninger, J. L. Price, D. C. Van Essen, and M. E. Raichle Persistence and brain circuitry PNAS, March 18, 2003; 100(6): 3479 - 3484. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. E. Criscimagna-Hemminger, O. Donchin, M. S. Gazzaniga, and R. Shadmehr Learned Dynamics of Reaching Movements Generalize From Dominant to Nondominant Arm J Neurophysiol, January 1, 2003; 89(1): 168 - 176. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Konishi, T. Hayashi, I. Uchida, H. Kikyo, E. Takahashi, and Y. Miyashita Hemispheric asymmetry in human lateral prefrontal cortex during cognitive set shifting PNAS, May 28, 2002; 99(11): 7803 - 7808. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. F.C. Baare, H. E. Hulshoff Pol, D. I. Boomsma, D. Posthuma, E. J.C. de Geus, H. G. Schnack, N. E.M. van Haren, C. J. van Oel, and R. S. Kahn Quantitative Genetic Modeling of Variation in Human Brain Morphology Cereb Cortex, September 1, 2001; 11(9): 816 - 824. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Norrelgen, F. Lacerda, and H. Forssberg Temporal Resolution of Auditory Perception in Relation to Perception, Memory, and Language Skills in Typical Children J Learn Disabil, July 1, 2001; 34(4): 359 - 369. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|