Cardiovascular asymmetries and cardiac perception.
Two strategies for evaluating the lateral specificity of cardiac sensory innervation were reviewed: (1) electrophysiological recording of cardiac-relevant cortical activity; and (2) behavioral assessment of right versus left differences in cardiac sensory perception. Electrophysiological data from two different laboratories suggest strongly that there is a link between cardiac events and cortical response to stimulation, but only for the right hemisphere. Two experiments from our laboratory suggest that there is a complex relationship among cerebral lateral preference, assessed by conjugate lateral eye movements, arousal, and individual differences in accuracy of self-perception of heart beats. The data, overall, suggest that the right hemisphere is involved specifically in heartbeat perception.
Katkin
E S
ES
Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794-2500.
Reed
S D
SD
D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D006329:Heart Conduction System; D006801:Humans; D009475:Neurons, Afferent