[Peripheral auditory lateralization].

Neuropsychological studies have demonstrated that language perception is lateralized at the hemispheric level. There is also much evidence for a peripheral lateralization of the auditory system in humans. Spontaneous otoacoustic emissions are more frequent in the right than in the left ear. The medial olivo-cochlear system is also more functional in the right than in the left ear in normal subjects. The study of specific samples shows that this asymmetry is found in professional musicians which have more functional efferent system in both ears. A link is hypothesized between peripheral and central laterality because of a dysfunctional peripheral asymmetry in pathological cases which show hemispheric lateralization disorders. Consequences of those pathological data will be discussed.