RIGHT-HEMISPHERE LANGUAGE AND COGNITIVE DEFICIT IN SINISTRALS

Abstract

Ninety-six student subjects were studied in a strictly balanced design contrasting sex, handedness and familial dextrality/sinistrality. WAIS scores were obtained, and two tachistoscopic tasks (RT responses) administered, involving laterally presented verbal stimuli (word/non-word decisions with high frequency, concrete, imageable and low frequency, abstract non-imageable words), and a face discrimination task designed to generate right hemisphere processing. There was a striking WAIS Performance deficit among sinistrals, particularly familial; familial dextrals proved overall fastest; directional asymmetries were weakest for the sinistrals, particularly the non-familial; non-familial dextra..