517
Intern. J. Neuroscience, 112:517–523, 2002
Copyright 2002 Taylor & Francis
0020-7454/02 $12.00 + .00
DOI: 10.1080/00207450290025626
RIGHT AND LEFT VISUAL CORTEX
AREAS IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS WITH
RIGHT- AND LEFT-EYE DOMINANCE
A. RIZA ERDOGAN
Department of Anatomy
Atatürk University
Erzurum, Turkey
METE ÖZDIKICI
Department of Radiology
Atatürk University
Erzurum, Turkey
M. DUMLU AYDIN
Department of Neurosurgery
Atatürk University
Erzurum, Turkey
ÖMER AKTAŞ
Ş ENOL DANE
Department of Physiology
Atatürk University
Erzurum, Turkey
The aim of this work was to study the differences between the right- and
left-visual cortices in relation to eyedness in healthy subjects. Ocular domi-
nance was determined by means of the near-far alignment test. To assess
visual cortical areas, the right and left sagittal scenograms of cranium by
Received 10 January 2002.
Address correspondence to Prof. Dr. Senol Dane, Department of Physiology, Medical School,
Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey. E-mail: senoldane@hotmail.com.
ˆ
518
A. R. Erdogan et al.
ˆ
magnetic resonance imaging were used. To calculate the visual cortex
areas by using scenograms, Cavalieri’s method was used. In the subjects
with right-eye dominance, the right visual cortex was larger than the left
visual cortex, and vice versa in the subjects with left-eye dominance. The
right and left cuneal areas were found to be larger in males than in fe-
males. In light of these results, it was concluded that the human eyes are
predominantly controlled by the ipsilateral visual cortex.
Keywords eye dominance, hand preference, men, visual cortex, women
In humans, the right cerebral hemisphere is dominant in visuospatial
and nonverbal functions such as art, architecture, geometry, and
mathematics, whereas the left cerebral hemisphere is dominant in
verbal functions such as rhetoric, literature, and poetry (Geschwind
& Behan, 1982; Springer & Deutsch, 1998; Gur et al., 1999).
Although two eyes with overlapping visual fields are required for
stereovision (Howard & Rogers, 1995), th