The relationships between paw preference and the right- and left-brain weights in male and female adult cats: ipsilateral and contralateral motor control with regard to asymmetric postural and manipulative actions.

Abstract

Paw preference (food reaching) with regard to relative right-and left-brain weights was studied in adult cats. In the right-pawed (RH) male and female cats, the right-paw use increased and the left-paw use decreased with increasing asymmetry coefficient (AC) for the right- and left brain-weight. The right-paw use increased with increasing the right-brain weight in RH males, and decreased with increasing the left-brain weight in RH females. There was no significant correlation between paw use and AC in left-pawed (LH) males; the right-paw use decreased and the left paw use increased with increasing AC in LH females. The right-paw use decreased with increasing left brain weight (no correlation with right brain) in LH males. In LH females, the right-paw use decreased with the right-brain weight, and increased with the left-brain weight. The left-paw use increased with the left-brain weight in LH males (no correlation with the right-brain weight). The left-paw use increased with the right-brain weight and decreased with the left-brain weight in LH females. These results were explained by supraspinal and spinal reciprocal interactions between the postural and manipulative systems with regard to contralaterality and ipsilaterality of motor control in cerebral and manual lateralization.