Hemispheric differences in temporal resolution

Abstract

A review of the relevant clinical and experimental literature gives the conclusion that the cerebral hemispheres differ in temporal resolution of input, with the language-dominant hemisphere showing finer acuity. This conclusion is supported by evidence from (i) performance of patients with unilateral brain damage on tests of temporal resolution, (ii) performance of developmental dyslexies on similar tasks, and (iii) left-right sensory field differences in temporal acuity in normal human subjects. While it is unlikely that a hemispheric difference in temporal resolution is sufficient to give a complete account of lateralized functions, such attempts to show more primitive physiological differences between the hemispheres are more likely to be fruitful than attempts which differentiate the hemispheres in terms of higher-order psychological functions.