Types of asymmetry: motor, sensory, functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres

Features of asymmetry

Functional asymmetry of the brain is characterized by the placement of mental functions relative to the right and left hemisphere. It has been proven that the activity of the left hemisphere consists of handling significant information, reading and counting. The work of the right one consists of operating with images, orientation on the ground, distinguishing sounds in music; recognition of objects, people's appearance; as well as reproducing dreams. The hemispheres work interconnectedly, representing their individuality on the functionality of the brain.

According to scientists, the asymmetry of the hemispheres is a breakthrough in evolution, indicating a great indicator of the activity of the human mind. In its essence, asymmetry has genetic roots, that is, it is characterized by generic transmission.

Its formation occurs in close connection with society during the public development of the individual. The hemisphere, which is responsible for the functioning of the speech apparatus, should be considered dominant. Most people, according to this theory, have a dominant left hemisphere and are considered right-handed. Left-handers, on the contrary, have a mirror image in the action of their thinking.

Based on the dominant hemispheres, all people are divided into 3 categories:

Left-hemisphere - make up 42% of the total number.
Right-hemisphere - 10 - 20% of the population.
Equihemispheric - have equal formation of the two hemispheres of the brain, accounting for 40%.

Left-handed (right-hemisphere) people have always generated interest among the public because of their individuality. Previously, such people were feared, bringing unflattering meaning into this. At the same time, there is no disease to be left-handed. Psychological disorders are not observed in people; they are considered an individual trait of a person.

According to statistics, left-handers often become writers, journalists, artists, and organizers. But among right-handers, engineers, mathematicians, philosophers, and linguists often appear.

The simplest method to determine the principle of brain asymmetry is to compare the formation of the left and right upper limbs. People who write with their right hand are right-handed and, of course, left-brained. For left-handed people the opposite is true. There are a small number of people who have the ability to use both limbs with equal dexterity. This feature is called ambidexterity with congenital and acquired manifestations.

Each person’s definition of hemisphere dominance and the principles for placing specific functions among them are quite individual.

The division of functional responsibilities between the hemispheres is genetic. At the same time, due to the influence of social reasons, a change in the functional asymmetry of the brain occurs. The function of the hemispheres for relatively simple work (sensory organs, skeletal muscles) is considered by scientists as conditionally equipotential. The symmetry sections of the hemispheres equally contribute to movement and a certain perceptibility. At the same time, this averaging cannot be done without higher cortical work, emotional manifestations, activation processes and habituation.

Interhemispheric asymmetry occurs:

anatomical – manifested in the morphological confusion of hemispheres;
biochemical – expressed in differences in cell reactions and the presence of neurotransmitters;
psychological – motor, sensory, cognitive-emotional.

The functional asymmetry between the hemispheres determines the responsibility of the left hemisphere for the result of verbal information, and the right hemisphere for changes in visual and figurative patterns.

Basic concepts of functional brain asymmetry

Functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres is the morphophysiological characteristics of cerebral structures that determine the dominance of the hemisphere when processing information of a certain type. It manifests itself in the difference in functional loads performed by the symmetrical parts of the hemispheres.

Important! For each person, the severity of hemisphere dominance and the location of specific functions between them are very individual.

At the same time, a lack of stability in the asymmetry of the human cerebral hemispheres has been established. With unilateral lesions, the opposite hemisphere, forming new connections between the projection fields, is able to take over the performance of lost functions. Functional asymmetry is considered as the ability of a person’s cerebral adaptation to changing conditions in normal and pathological conditions.

Interesting! Paleontological studies have discovered the existence of morphological asymmetry in prokaryotes during the Archean period.

Separation of functional loads

Each of the hemispheres has its own tendency to work, producing a unique and unique combination of personality during a common action. The advantage in brain performance of one hemisphere leads to an increase in personal characteristics in one direction.

People with right hemisphere asymmetry are characterized by contemplation, subtle sensitivity, and a disposition to rush into the jungle of memories. A person with predominant functioning of the right hemisphere often exhibits slowness and taciturnity. Left-hemisphere people are characterized by analytical thinking and iron logic. Theoretical knowledge comes easily to them, they have a developed vocabulary, they are active and purposeful.

The main signs of the left hemisphere:

logical and important analytical abilities of the brain;
consideration of abstract form;
the ability to assimilate events, dates, names;
speech function with testing of oral dialect and ability to learn foreign languages;
the ability to determine similarity among objects;
the ability to perform difficult motor acts;
the ability to remember past moments according to an abstract, generalized and invariant type;
the ability to evaluate time relationships;
the ability to identify similarities by names.

The signs of the right hemisphere are as follows:

consideration by type of specificity;
musical gift;
the ability to notice the emotional tone and affiliation of another person’s speech;
the ability to correctly assess the nature of non-speech sounds;
the ability to perceive a specific visual object;
the ability to recognize certain incidents;
simultaneous holistic and general perception;
the ability to evaluate spatial relationships;
the ability to establish distinctive features among objects;
the ability to indicate similarities with respect to physical stimuli;
assumptions, dreams.

Both hemispheres are interconnected in their influence, providing a person with a holistic range of qualities. However, each of them adds its own share of uniqueness.

At the stage of formation of the first year of life, the right hemisphere dominates over the left hemisphere relative to its work. In the 2nd year of life, the left hemisphere catches up with it. When some time passes, there is an alternation of superiorities over each other in formation. The hemispheres are united by calloused flesh, which serves as a crossing between them and reaches residual formation at the age of 25. For females it is large.

The judgment of symmetry does not exist in the human body. The asymmetry of the hemispheres is closely related to the symmetry of the face. The human face is asymmetrical, which is considered normal. There is a noticeable connection between the face and the asymmetry of the hemisphere.

Often in right-handed people the nose is deviated to the right side, while in left-handed people it is deviated to the left side. If one eyebrow is raised, this is characteristic of a narrow part of the facial area, and a crooked smile indicates a wider area of the face.

It is necessary to improve each hemisphere, and this is possible. This occurs more effectively when a person himself understands what his form of interconnection of the hemispheres is, whether primacy is present, and to what extent it is manifested.

Functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres contributes to the harmonious functioning of cerebral systems, most often due to reciprocal relationships. In this case, it is possible to locate the functional pressure between 2 hemispheres, combine information and monitor 1 of the hemispheres.

Facial asymmetry in adults - how to treat

Treatment depends on the causes of the disease and the severity of the changes. When a diagnosis of facial asymmetry is made, one or more doctors decide how to correct the anomaly. For mild asymmetry, conservative correction methods are sufficient:

An asymmetrical bite is corrected using splinting, braces and other orthodontic aids.
When muscles are damaged, drug therapy, physiotherapy, and massage are used. With reduced muscle tone, myostimulation and gymnastics are necessary. Massage relaxes/tones muscles, eliminates pain.
For neuritis of the facial nerve, treatment is carried out in a hospital. The doctor prescribes medication and physiotherapeutic treatment.

Surgery is required when the structure and function of the jaw joint changes.

Craniosacral manual therapy and massage help correct the asymmetrical skull in children and alleviate the condition of adult patients. In case of significant defects in the articular bones, the neurosurgeon prescribes prosthetic surgery.

At the Clinic of Manual Medicine “Galia Ignatieva MD”, correction of soft tissue lesions is performed using cosmetic minimally invasive methods:

Botox injections;
thread lifting;
hardware massage;
lipofilling;
injection of fillers.

Rice. 4. The result of conservative treatment - before and after.

If the asymmetry is severe and does not respond to conservative treatment methods, then a surgical solution to the problem is indicated. It could be plastic surgery.

If there is an abnormal development of the joint of the jaw bones, maxillofacial surgery is prescribed. The neurosurgeon performs surgical treatment of complications of innervation and pathology of the facial nerve.

Facial asymmetry, the treatment of which may require a whole range of measures, is difficult to eliminate if the patient consults a doctor late. Early diagnosis, the professionalism of the doctors at the Manual Medicine Clinic “Galia Ignatieva MD” and compliance with their recommendations in half the cases lead to an improvement in the condition.

Asymmetrical connection with floors

There is a close contact of asymmetry with the floor. Among stutterers, left-handed people, cross-eyed people, neurotics and children with dyslexia, there are 5 boys for every 1 girl. It has been proven that there is a clear connection between these manifestations, and all of them are directly related to brain asymmetry. For example, if a left-handed child is forcibly retrained to write with his right hand, he will often develop the following deviations, and they will also become mentally retarded, develop psychosis, and speech disorders.

Understanding of gender differences and brain functions was initially built on the results of clinical and behavioral experiments. If the left hemisphere is damaged due to blood loss, malignancy, or surgical intervention of the temporal lobe element in relation to epileptic seizures, lack of verbal performance in males occurs frequently.

Such violations of the right hemisphere also lead to a strong lack of non-verbal flow in men relative to women. The disease due to damage to the left hemisphere occurs in men 3 times more often with a severe course. Hence, the conclusion was presented that women's linguistic and spatial skills are represented more symmetrically compared to the male gender.

Psychological dimorphism is associated with gender differences in brain lateralization:

Different skills and dispositions between the sexes.
Diverse professional suitability, preference.
Uneven learning ability, resourcefulness.

For example, regarding verbal skills (speech apparatus, speed of speech, spelling, short memorization, comfort of thought in all classes) - a high indicator for the female gender. They have a well-developed sense of smell, which does not atrophy over the years.

The male gender has a well-developed visual ability. In school, they understand geometric concepts more than girls. Also, men achieve much more success in chess, music, and creativity. There are few women who become satirists, humorists, and comedians.

Due to asymmetry, the brain constitution operates in a coordinated manner. Due to the fact that some of the brain's activities are divided regarding 2 hemispheres, the clinical course of a violation of one of the hemispheres will differ. This makes it possible to identify functional asymmetry as an effective position in order to identify a large number of neurological ailments. Only the single function of the 2 hemispheres, their asymmetrical work, will guarantee human life and activity.