Hemispheric lateralisation

• Corpus Callosum

  Links the brain’s hemispheres by a bundle of nerve fibres
• The hemispheres are contralateral

  This means that the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice versa
• When a function or behaviour is dealt with by just one hemisphere, it is said to be lateralised. The division of functions between the hemispheres is called hemispheric lateralisation
• Areas of the brain that are lateralised

  • Language production
  • Language comprehension
• Areas of the brain that are not lateralised

  • Sight
  • Hearing
  • Generating voluntary movement
  • Detecting sensory information
• Left hemisphere

  • Sensory stimulus from the right side of body
  • Motor control of right side of body
  • Speech, language and comprehension
  • Analysis and calculations
  • Time and sequencing
  • Recognition of words, letters and numbers
• Right Hemisphere

  • Sensory stimulus from left side of body
  • Motor control of left side of body
  • Creativity
  • Spatial ability
  • Context/perception
  • Recognition of faces, places and objects