Physiology of somatosensory perception Cerebral lateralization and extinction

摘要: Objective: To demonstrate the effects of cerebral lateralization and temporal dynamics on somatosensory perception. Background: We postulated that perceptual thresholds for simple stimuli would be less in left than right hand, a left/right asymmetry extinction exist healthy right-handed subjects (but not left-handed subjects). During course these experiments we also examined controversy concerning Methods: A total 126 (age range, 6 to 73 years) participated study. Effects handedness, age, vigilance, gaze, interval perception were series experiments. Brief electric pulses applied index finger one or both hands. Results: Perceptual are lower hand large cohort across wide age range. Left-handed have no overall asymmetry. Even after compensation baseline threshold differences, single perceived more readily left-hand targets difficult mask. Leftward eye/head gaze lowers hands (compared with straight gaze). Extinction was consistently maximal when mask followed target by 50 100 msec. Conclusions: The findings clearly asymmetric subjects. Both central peripheral asymmetries exist. consistent dominance externally directed attention. Access conscious awareness is delayed particularly vulnerable disruption at msec onset stimulus.