Attention and Interhemispheric Communication: Implications for Language Dominance

• Published in: Neuroscience Vol. 510; pp. 21 - 31
• Main Authors: Serrien, Deborah J., O'Regan, Louise
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2023
• Subjects: Attention - physiology; Brain - physiology; Dominance, Cerebral - physiology; Dominance, Ocular; eye dominance; Functional Laterality - physiology; handedness; hemispheric activation-inhibition; Language; laterality; word comprehension; MAGE; SE; hemispheric activation-inhibition; handedness; eye dominance; word comprehension; LIRT; SLF; laterality
• ISSN: 0306-4522; 1873-7544
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.12.006

•We tested activation-inhibition hypothesis of distribution of attention in space.•Lateralised cue-target pairs presented to same or opposite visual field.•Handedness affected word processing in left hemisphere due to contralateral cueing.•Eye dominance associated with interhemispheric communication.•Interacting control systems contribute to information transfer between hemispheres. Dominance of the left hemisphere for language processing is a prominent feature of brain organisation. Whereas structural models clarify the functional asymmetry due to direct access to local language circuits, dynamic models propose functional states of intrahemispheric activation and interhemispheric inhibition that are coupled with attentional processes. Real word settings often require modulations of lateralised neural processing and further express individual heterogeneity. In this research, we tested left- and right-handers, and used a behavioural paradigm with presentation of lateralised cue-target pairs to the same or opposite visual field. We observed that handedness distinctly affected word processing in the left hemisphere following contralateral cueing. Moreover, left-hemispheric dominance strengthened for right-handers vs abolished for left-handers, influencing behavioural efficiency. In combination with eye dominance recordings, these data suggest that attentional biases guided the processing strategies of both groups and in turn their achievements. Therefore, hand and eye dominance are both essential factors with a functional role in directing the communication of visual information between both hemispheres. Overall, the findings underline the importance of interacting hand-eye control systems in contributing to interhemispheric patterns in the context of language processing.