A computer model for learning processes and the role of the cerebral commissures.

A computer model of the two brain hemispheres is constructed of discrete populations of neurons, and it is shown to exhibit the characteristics of the great cerebral commissures, as has been pointed out by Sperry and others. For the range of parameters used we find that such systems respond in a specific manner to specific stimuli, and furthermore, whatever memory is transferred to one simulated hemisphere is also transferred to the other. However, this behavior changes when the two hemispheres are separated. We find that memory is not transferred from one hemisphere to the other when the interconnecting commissures are severed. The above findings verify Sperry's experimental observation that the split brain behaves as if it were indeed two separate brains, each performing concurrently and simultaneously diametrically opposite tasks.