[Hemispheric specialisation versus inter-hemispheric communication]

Abstract

The first part of this article covers the main discoveries that led to the concept of hemispheric specialisation, from Egyptian antiquity to present times, through the pivotal XIXth century period that saw the attribution of specific cognitive functions to the left and right hemispheres. Next, this dichotomous conception of cerebral function, attributing a given process to a hemisphere and hypothesising callosal transmission, is discussed in the light of recent studies on language comprehension. Present day knowledge suggesting an alternative to the structuralist view of hemispheric specialisation in the form of dynamic, complementary sharing of labour, and of cooperation through transcortical neural networks, is then considered. Finally, the role of the corpus callosum in interhemispheric communication is briefly covered. An emphasis is placed on the diversity of this structure that is at the origin of highly different functions (fibre size, homotopic vs heterotopic connections). Ultimately, we contrast the view of a corpus callosum serving as an information transmitting channel with that of a fibre tract co-activating the non-engaged hemisphere and preparing it for potential stimulation. In this manner, the corpus callosum minimises disparities in the distribution of attention between the two hemispheres.