Halsband U, Hömberg V
Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Duesseldorf.
Cortex. 1990 Dec;26(4):625-37. doi: 10.1016/s0010-9452(13)80311-5.
There is ample evidence that the right or non-language related hemisphere of the brain is superior in processing of spatial information. This issue appears less clear when a task involves elaborate mental operations that require the integration of spatial information at a stage beyond mere perceptual discrimination. Examples are block design tasks, which are frequently used as estimates of general intelligence. Results of these tests have been contradictory as to whether there is a right hemispheric advantage for their execution. This study was aimed to look at a possible hemispheric preponderance in block design tasks comparing visual, tactile and crossmodal spatial performance. A two-dimensional template had to be reproduced by arranging cubes with surfaces different in both colour and texture. In the visual condition the template was given in the visual modality and the cube arrangement was under visual control. In the tactile condition the template was presented tactually and the cube assembly had to be done under entirely tactual control. In the crossmodal condition the template was presented visually and the assembly was restricted to tactual control. Task completion time (TCT) and number of correct responses (NCR) were compared between right hand and left hand responses. Only in the crossmodal condition a constant left hand superiority of performance was found. Non-crossmodal tasks did not show a constant hemispheric preponderance. In the tactile condition allowing for easy differentiation of input to one or the other hemisphere TCTs varied only according to the compatibility of side of afferent input and side of assembling action irrespective of the hemisphere engaged. It is concluded that mental operations requiring spatial assembling not necessarily engage the non-dominant hemisphere to a larger extent than the language dominant hemisphere. For crossmodal information processing, however, the non-dominant hemisphere appears to be superior.
有充分证据表明，大脑右侧或与语言无关的半球在处理空间信息方面更具优势。当一项任务涉及复杂的心理操作，需要在仅仅是感知辨别之外的阶段整合空间信息时，这个问题就不那么清晰了。例如积木设计任务，它经常被用作一般智力的评估指标。关于执行这些测试时是否存在右半球优势，这些测试的结果一直相互矛盾。本研究旨在观察在积木设计任务中，比较视觉、触觉和跨通道空间表现时，可能存在的半球优势。必须通过排列颜色和纹理都不同的立方体来重现一个二维模板。在视觉条件下，模板以视觉形式呈现，立方体排列受视觉控制。在触觉条件下，模板以触觉形式呈现，立方体组装必须完全在触觉控制下完成。在跨通道条件下，模板以视觉形式呈现，组装仅限于触觉控制。比较了右手和左手反应的任务完成时间（TCT）和正确反应次数（NCR）。仅在跨通道条件下发现左手表现持续具有优势。非跨通道任务没有显示出持续的半球优势。在触觉条件下，由于允许轻松区分输入到一个或另一个半球的信息，TCT仅根据传入输入的一侧与组装动作的一侧的兼容性而变化，而与参与的半球无关。得出的结论是，需要空间组装的心理操作不一定比语言主导半球更大量地涉及非主导半球。然而，对于跨通道信息处理，非主导半球似乎更具优势。
