INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN FUNCTIONAL ASYMMETRIES OF THE CORTICAL HEMISPHERES. REVIVAL OF LATERALITY RESEARCH IN EMOTION AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Written by Ilona PAPOUSEK, Gunter SCHULTER on 15 December 2006. Posted in Special issue: Brain Asymmetry, Guest Editors: Joseph B. HELLIGE, Joseph E. BOGEN, Volume X, Nr. 2

Abstract:

Popular neuropsychological models of affect and affective disorders have revived the interest in functional asymmetries of the cortical hemispheres. However, research in this area does not seem to benefit very much from advances that were made in other areas of laterality research. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to bridge some gaps to other areas of laterality research and draw the attention to some issues that may be of importance in laterality research on emotion and psychopathology. Among the discussed issues are the differentiation of different aspects of functional hemisphere asymmetries, the concept of functional and regional modularity, and the importance of interindividual differences in hemispheric specialization.

Keywords: laterality, emotion, hemispheric specialization, EEG