• Neuroinformatics

There is some evidence that the cerebral hemispheres markedly differ in their capability to regulate physiological processes during emotional situations. The right hemisphere plays an especially dominant role in the control of emotion-related cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses (Hugdahl et al. 1983; Wittling 1990; Wittling and Pfluger 1990). Moreover, deviations from the normal pattern of functional hemisphere asymmetry may be associated with a heightened risk for developing psychosomatic and autoimmune disorders. Geschwind and Behan (1982, 1984) were the first to show that left-handedness is up to three times more frequent in psychosomatic disordered individuals. These findings have been widely confirmed in further studies (Lelong et al. 1986; Smith 1987; Searleman and Fugagli 1987; Betancur et al. 1990).