A 21st Century View of Asymmetry in the Human Brain

Extract

The Asymmetrical Brain. Kenneth Hugdahl and Richard J. Davidson (Eds.). 2003. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. 796 pp., $90.00.

One of the most fundamental questions in cognitive neuroscience relates to the biological basis of functional hemispheric specialization and the relationship of structure to function. These important and controversial concepts are reviewed in The Asymmetrical Brain. Drs. Hugdahl and Davidson have selected core topics discussed by an impressive group of internationally recognized experts. This text was originally conceived as an update to the 1995 book Brain Asymmetry edited by Hugdahl and Davidson, but this text offers a completely reorganized approach to the topic that is both timely and comprehensive within a narrow focus on specific neural systems and neural syndromes. This book will appeal to students and experts in the broader field of human cognitive neuroscience and should be required reading to anyone with an academic interest in cerebral laterality and human cognition. Indeed, the field has advanced since 1995, and this book will surely become a major impetus to future research advancement in brain laterality.