title: Handedness: dependent asymmetrical location of the human primary gustatory area, area G.
abstract: In magnetoencephalogram studies, the primary gustatory area, area G, is not always seen in the same coronal plane in both hemispheres. We investigated possible asymmetry in right-handed and left-handed individuals by functional MRI. Group analyses revealed a significant difference in the antero-posterior coordinates of the area G between the right and left hemispheres in the right-handed group, but not in the left-handed group, indicating significant morphometric asymmetry in the former group and ambiguous morphometric asymmetry in the latter. However, in left-handed individuals with motor speech areas detected in the right hemisphere, area G was more posteriorly located in the right than in the left hemisphere. These findings suggest that the motor speech area contributes to the asymmetric location of area G.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sensory and Cognitive Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan. wakitamasahito@gmail.com
authors.forename: Masahito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wakita
authors.forename: Tatu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayakawa
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiai
authors.forename: Toshinori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Yasuyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride