Handedness and the Brain: A Review of Brain-imaging Techniques

The author reviewed brain-imaging studies on human handedness reported in major academic journals for the last 12 years, classified them as having anatomical or functional interest, and attempted to determine consensus on findings and limitations among the studies. Present reviews suggest that there have been fewer functional than anatomical examinations into handedness and that findings from those studies have not been necessarily consistent, that participants' degree of handedness has not been consistent between left-handed and right-handed people, and that much more brain-imaging study is anticipated to examine functional and anatomical differences of handedness based on genetic and environmental models.