The right hemisphere is able to access and hold larger quantities of information
Novelty is handled by the right hemisphere, and is transferred to the left hemisphere as it becomes familiar, such experiences trigger a norepinephrine release. Most neurons fatigue, that is to say they cease to respond when continuously stimulated. These norepinephrine neurons do not fatigue, however, but maintain their condition of excitation, so that exploratory attention is held open across a greater expanse of both space and time. The range of the right hemisphere is further increased by the fact that it has a longer working memory, and so is able both to access more information and hold it together at any one time for longer. It is capable of bearing more information in mind and doing so over longer periods, with greater specificity (which also means less susceptibility to degradation over time by memory).
References
- Mcgilchrist, Iain. (2010). The Master and His Emissary Chapter 2 What Do the Hemispheres Do (90). London, UK: Yale University Press.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Biology / Neuroscience / Neuropsychology Status:☀️