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Open research questions in Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience

210 gap statements mined from Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 720 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The origins of human handedness remain poorly understood. Prior studies have limitations, such as relying on species means or not accounting for sampling error. There is a need for a comprehensive phylogenetic comparative meta-analysis of handedness in anthropoids.

    Bipedalism and brain expansion explain human handedness · 2026 · DOI

  • It remains unclear, however, whether it is also indicative of language localization and functioning shortly after birth.

    Predictive value of foetal superior temporal sulcus asymmetry for neonatal speech discrimination · 2026 · DOI

  • Hypomimia is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD), but whether emotional expressions show lateralized abnormalities remains unclear.

    Investigating smiling asymmetries in Parkinson’s disease through the whistle–smile reflex · 2026 · DOI

  • However, how unilateral hearing loss affects brain hemispheric asymmetry remains poorly understood.

    Concurrent alterations in brain hemispheric asymmetry of structural and functional networks in single-sided deafness · 2026 · DOI

  • The brain's hemispheres exhibit profound lateralization, yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive.

    Autism-related proteins form a complex to maintain the striatal asymmetry in mice · 2025 · DOI

  • While altered asymmetries have long been implicated, evidence is inconsistent, with limited consideration given to individual variability in lateralization patterns.

    Revisiting atypical language lateralization in dyslexia · 2025 · DOI

  • Hemispheric lateralization has been central to developmental dyslexia research for over a century, yet its role in the aetiology of reading and language deficits remains elusive.

    Revisiting atypical language lateralization in dyslexia · 2025 · DOI

  • However, it is not well understood if similar lateralization exists within the deep gray matter nuclei, such as the basal ganglia (BG) and thalamus, and their associated arteries, including the lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs).

    Lateralization study of the basal ganglia, thalamus and supplying arteries in healthy individuals based on structure and connectivity analysis using 7.0T MRI · 2025 · DOI

  • While phenotypic plasticity is hypothesized to contribute to the formation of laterality, direct evidence remains scarce.

    Phenotypic plasticity drives the development of laterality in the scale-eating cichlid fish Perissodus microlepis · 2025 · DOI

  • Handedness has been proposed as a behavioral marker of lateralization, but its relevance in dementia remains unclear.

    Dementia and handedness: Meta-analyses · 2025 · DOI

  • Additionally, it remains unclear if the atypical segregation of these functions could influence cognitive performance.

    Atypical lateralization of visuospatial attention can be associated with better or worse performance on line bisection · 2024 · DOI

  • However, it remains unclear whether older non-musicians and musicians rely on functional compensation or functional preservation to counteract the adverse effects of aging.

    Compensation or Preservation? Different Roles of Functional Lateralization in Speech Perception of Older Non-musicians and Musicians · 2024 · DOI

  • While interhemispheric differences in auditory cortex organization support this view, the macrostructure of the entire cerebral cortex has not been thoroughly examined from this perspective.

    Heschl’s gyrus and the temporal pole: The cortical lateralization of language · 2024 · DOI

  • Fencing is a high-speed combat sport that demands exceptional visuomotor coordination, ultra-fast reaction times, and superior perceptual-cognitive abilities. The influence of ocular dominance and its interaction with handedness remains underexplored in fencing. Understanding and leveraging the preference for one eye over the other is essential for achieving optimal positioning in sport.

    CROSSED LATERALITY AND PERFORMANCE IN FENCING: AN ANALYSIS OF OCULAR DOMINANCE, HANDEDNESS, AND REACTION TIMES IN FENCERS · 2026 · DOI

  • The influence of ocular dominance and its interaction with handedness remains underexplored in fencing. There is a lack of understanding of the relationship between laterality and athletic performance in fencing.

    CROSSED LATERALITY AND PERFORMANCE IN FENCING: AN ANALYSIS OF OCULAR DOMINANCE, HANDEDNESS, AND REACTION TIMES IN FENCERS · 2026 · DOI

  • The developmental asymmetry in ear opening may influence hearing. The neural mechanisms underlying sound localization in big brown bats are not well understood.

    A tale of two ears: development of binaural auditory processing in the big brown bat · 2026 · DOI

  • The representation of the body in the human motor cortex remains relatively unknown at a single-neuron scale. Previous experiments cannot resolve detailed representations at the single-neuron level.

    A mosaic of whole-body representations on the human precentral gyrus · 2026 · DOI

  • Second, the observation period was brief (only up to postoperative day 30), which is the most important limitation of this study.

    Mako robot-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty mitigates the impact of surgeon handedness · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to control for cultural differences and individual variability. The challenge of operationalizing and testing different theories of ticklishness.

    Human ticklishness is a widespread, culturally shared and bodily organized sensory experience · 2026 · DOI

  • The mechanisms underlying language lateralisation are unclear. Previous studies have not specifically investigated SC-FC coupling concerning functional language lateralisation. There is a need to uncover functional and anatomical differences among individuals with varying language lateralisation.

    Brain structure–function coupling – relationship with language lateralisation · 2026 · DOI

  • Parkinson's Disease (PD) motor features typically begin unilaterally, but it remains unclear whether dominant versus non-dominant side motor symptoms differentially affect lateralized aspects of fine motor control.

    Lateralized motor control mechanisms underlie lateralized motor deficits in early Parkinson's Disease · 2026 · DOI

  • Although previous studies have identified cerebral functional alterations in HM, the patterns of hemispheric functional asymmetry and interhemispheric coordination remain insufficiently understood.

    Aberrant Functional Lateralization and Interhemispheric Synergy in High Myopia: Insights From Neurotransmitter Distribution Signatures and Machine Learning Classification · 2026 · DOI

  • We also review the limited literature on FAA and monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems, including pharmacologic agents that act on them.

    Frontal Alpha Asymmetry and Its Modulation by Monoaminergic Neurotransmitters in Depression · 2024 · DOI

  • The persistence of left-handedness in humans is enigmatic due to its association with stigma, increased psychopathology, and cognitive deficits. Prior research has not fully explained the neurobehavioral characteristics of left-handers.

    The enigma of persistent left-handedness in humans: A potential solution · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the relative contributions of each factor to the overall observed behavior, - Develop clear conventions for defining, testing, or measuring handedness, - Explore the relationship between handedness in humans and observed left-right differences…

    The Challenge of Defining Laterality in Horses: Is It Laterality or Just Asymmetry? · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) There is a need for a comprehensive phylogenetic comparative meta-analysis of handedness in anthropoids (“Bipedalism and brain expansion explain human handedness”, 2026); (2) It remains unclear, however, whether it is also indicative of language localization and functioning shortly after birth (“Predictive value of foetal superior temporal sulcus asymmetry for neonatal…”, 2026); (3) Hypomimia is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD), but whether emotional expressions show lateralized abnormalities remains unclear (“Investigating smiling asymmetries in Parkinson’s disease through the…”, 2026); (4) How unilateral hearing loss affects brain hemispheric asymmetry remains poorly understood (“Concurrent alterations in brain hemispheric asymmetry of structural and…”, 2026); (5) The influence of ocular dominance and its interaction with handedness remains underexplored in fencing (“CROSSED LATERALITY AND PERFORMANCE IN FENCING: AN ANALYSIS OF OCULAR DOMINANCE,…”, 2026). 210 gap statements have been mined from Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 720 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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