hemispheric specialization

n. Asymmetric representation of higher- level functions in the cerebral hemispheres. Cerebral specialization (or simply, brain asymmetry) means that the brain organization of higher-level functions is not duplicated in both the right and the left hemispheres but is associated with the activity of only one cerebral hemisphere. In general, the left hemisphere is specialized in linguistic processes and has a more analytic way of processing information. Disturbances in both oral and written language (aphasia, alexia, and agraphia), arithmetical ability impairments (acalculia), semantic amnesia, and inability to perform some previously learned movements (apraxia) are found in cases of left hemisphere pathology in the majority of the people. The right hemisphere is specialized in visuoperceptual and visuoconstructive abilities and has a more holistic way of processing the information. Disturbances in spatial orientation (spatial agnosia and spatial amnesia), recognition of faces and places impairments (prosopagnosia and topographic agnosia), episodic amnesia, and difficulties in the auditory recognition of nonverbal information including music (nonverbal auditory agnosia and amusia) are found in cases of right hemisphere pathology in the majority of the people.

- AA

► See also CEREBRAL DOMINANCE