Findings that shed new light on the possible pathogenesis of a disease or an adverse effect
Right hemisphere dominance for understanding the intentions of others: evidence from a split-brain patient
1 Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, Psychology, 3803, Sage Center for the Study of the Mind, UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
2 UCSB Brain Imaging Center, Department of Psychology, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
3 Sage Center for the Study of the Mind, UCSB, Department of Psychology, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
Correspondence to:
Stephanie Ortigue, ortigue{at}psych.ucsb.edu
Understanding the actions performed by other people is a key aspect of social interaction, including in clinical settings where patients are learning from therapists and caregivers. While lesions of the left cerebral hemisphere induce praxic disorders, the hemispheric specialisation of intention understanding remains unclear. Do patients with a right hemispheric lesion understand the intentions of other people properly? The present study investigates how a split-brain patient understands the means (what) and intentions (why) of the actions of other people. Results show a significant left hemispheric dominance for understanding what is done, and a significant right hemispheric dominance for understanding why an action is carried out. This discovery might have important clinical implications in neurological patients, especially when those with right hemisphere lesions are faced with important decisions related to the interpretation of other’s intentions.
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