J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 1994; 6:371-378
Copyright © 1994 by American Neuropsychiatric Association
Lateralization of frontal lobe functions and cognitive novelty
E Goldberg, K Podell and M Lovell
Department of Psychiatry of New York University School of Medicine, New York.
The two hemispheres are functionally different in ways not adequately
captured by the classic distinction between linguistic and nonlinguistic
processes. The right hemisphere is critical for processing novel cognitive
situations. The left hemisphere is key to the processes mediated by
well-routinized representations and strategies. The left frontal systems
appear to be critical for the cognitive selection driven by the content of
working memory and for context-dependent behavior, the right frontal
systems for cognitive selection driven by the external environment and for
context- independent behavior. The crucial role of the right hemisphere in
processing cognitively novel situations underscores the importance of the
right frontal systems in task orientation and in the assembly of novel
cognitive strategies.
