title: Dreaming, handedness, and sleep architecture: interhemispheric mechanisms.
abstract: Research on individual differences in sleep as a function of handedness is reviewed. Special emphasis is placed on a new way of approaching handedness in terms of degree (strong/consistent versus mixed/inconsistent), as opposed to the traditional focus on direction (right versus left). Handedness differences in sleep architecture reflect increased time in REM sleep and decreased time in NREM sleep in consistent right-handers. A framework relating increased interhemispheric interaction in mixed-handers, increased interhemispheric interaction during episodic retrieval, increased interhemispheric interaction during NREM sleep, and the role of NREM sleep in memory consolidation is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Christman
authors.forename: Ruth E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Propper
mesh_terms: D054022:Cerebrum / Q000502:physiology*; D004325:Dreams / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*