IUBio

Left/right brain integration

samson.fischkind smisch at tiac.not
Sun Dec 1 10:22:52 EST 1996


Perry Sill wrote:
>  
> Does anyone know of any literature on a relationship between a) deficits of
> integration between the left & right brains, and b) personality? I am
> interested in such formulations as they would apply to normal (not
> split-brain or otherwise brain-damaged) subjects. Thanks in advance.

Really though, i think the split-brain literature is exactly where you
want to look. The problem, put briefly: if there is evidence of
hemispheric autonomy in split-brains, why shouldn't the same be true in
those whose commissures happen to be intact (ie., should we assume _total_
integration in 'normals')? At least this is the way the question has been
approached historically.

Obviously it all starts with Sperry, so his article in _Science_ (June,
1961) "Cerebral organization and behavior" is 'required' basic reading.
Gazzaniga's _The Social Brain_ (1985) provides a broad and very readable
overview of the whole 'split-brain thing'. Highly recommended.

To come to the question as it applies to 'normals', there is an excellent
philosophical 'dialogue' issue of _Behavioral and Brain Sci_ (1981, vol
4), starting with Roland Puccetti's "The case for mental duality: evidence
from s-b data and other considerations", followed by reply and commentary
from the likes of Gazzaniga, the Churchlands, Geschwind, Eccles -- y'know,
the 'big shots'. The same issues are covered in brief in D. Robinson's
"Cerebral plurality and the unity of self", _American Psychologist_ (1982,
aug). Perhaps more to your needs is Lawrence Miller's "Some comments on
cerebral hemispheric models of consciousness", where a fascinating
'psychoanalytic' perspective on the issue is presented (if you can stand
that sort of thing), in _Psychoanalytic Review_ (Summer, 1986).

That enough? I could go on; i spent a semester digging up lit. on the
implications of s-b phenomenon for human cosnciousness 'integration' in
general, so i could go on forever. But then i'd have to shoot myself...

Have fun. Fascinating stuff, it is.

-- 
smisch at tiac.net



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