Dictionary of Biological Psychology
One of the two halves of the TELENCEPHALON. Each hemisphere is largely responsible for controlling sensory and motor processes for the opposite side of the body.
Psychologists have tended to study functional ASYMMETRY when referring to the hemispheres. The consensus is that (in humans), the LEFT HEMISPHERE plays a critical role in speech (see SPEECH PERCEPTION; SPEECH PRODUCTION) and LANGUAGE functions, and higher-level MOTOR PROGRAMMING and control. There is less agreement on an appropriate label for RIGHT HEMISPHERE specialization, although non-verbal, visuospatial perceptual tasks may rely to some extent on this hemisphere.
See also: aphasia; apraxia; central nervous system; cerebral asymmetry
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