Brain lateralization of language to the left is inversely related to lateralized motor hability both in self defined right and left handed individuals

DRUCAROFF, LUCAS JAVIER; VILLARREAL, MIRTA; CASTRO, MARIANA NAIR; MAGISTRELLI, MARÍA CRISTINA; COSTANZO, ELSA; GUINJOAN, SALVADOR

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 2nd FALAN Congress; 2016

Federation of Neuroscience Societies in Latin America and the Caribbean (FALAN)

Introduction: the relationship between brain lateralization of language and motor dexterity is controversial. We tested the hypothesis that lateralization of motor dexterity and language are related but independent phenomena. We predicted that higher left brain lateralization of language would be related to right-handedness and lower left brain lateralization of language would be related to left-handedness, in a continuous manner.Methods: we assessed right-handed (n=20) and nonright-handed (n=19) healthy individuals. Dexterity was assessed using Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, whereas brain lateralization of language was calculated based on brain activation during two fMRI language fluency tasks, phonological and semantic.Results: surprisingly, the predicted relationship between brain lateralization of language and handedness was observed only in left-handers (r=0.49, p