Rightlateralization

Rightlateralization is the tendency for certain cognitive functions to be organized predominantly in the right cerebral hemisphere rather than the left. It is contrasted with left-lateralization, which underlies most language functions in most right-handed adults. Right-lateralized processes are most consistently observed in visuospatial abilities, spatial attention, and the perception of emotions and prosody in speech, as well as face recognition and some aspects of music processing. Although language is usually left-lateralized, the right hemisphere contributes to prosodic and pragmatic aspects of communication and to metaphor and humor processing in some tasks.

Neuroanatomically, right-lateralized functions involve the right parietal and temporal-occipital cortex and their fronto-parietal connections. Networks implicated include the dorsal and ventral attention systems and regions involved in social perception, emotion processing, and facial recognition, such as the superior temporal sulcus and right fusiform areas. Lateralization emerges from structural asymmetries, connectivity patterns, and developmental factors, and can vary across individuals.

Methods to study rightlateralization include functional MRI and PET to map task-related asymmetries, EEG/ERP for temporal dynamics, and transcranial magnetic stimulation to probe causal roles. Lesion studies in patients with right-hemisphere damage also reveal deficits consistent with right-lateralization, such as hemispatial neglect or impaired emotion recognition.

Variability is common: many functions are distributed bilaterally or show individual differences, influenced by handedness, development, and plasticity after injury. Rightlateralization is thus a statistical tendency rather than an absolute rule.