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Cats prefer to sleep on their left side

A research team analyzed YouTube videos of sleeping cats to find that two thirds sleep on their left side. This bias is thought to be an evolutionary strategy, favoring the use of the right hemisphere of the brain for spatial awareness and threat processing after waking.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalCurrent Biology·DateJun 24, 2025

Kessler Foundation scientists explore evidence for improving outcomes for prism adaptation therapy in stroke survivors

Researchers analyzed fMRI studies on healthy individuals and stroke survivors to understand the neural mechanisms underlying prism adaptation therapy. The study found differences in brain activity patterns between healthy individuals and those with spatial neglect, suggesting a shift in spatial processing to the left hemisphere.

SourceKessler Foundation·JournalBrain Sciences·TypeMeta-analysis·DateFeb 3, 2022

How the brain controls our speech

Research at Goethe University Frankfurt reveals that both hemispheres of the brain contribute to speech control, with the left hemisphere handling fast processes and the right hemisphere controlling slower processes. This discovery challenges the long-held assumption that the right hemisphere only analyzes spoken words.

SourceGoethe University Frankfurt·JournalNature Communications·DateJun 10, 2020

Learning language

Researchers discovered that the right hemisphere plays a crucial role in processing foreign speech sounds at the beginning of language learning. Successful learners showed increased activity in the right hemisphere during sound recognition tasks. The study's findings have the potential to improve instructional methods for adult learners.

Risk-taking bias in the brain

Researchers discovered that individuals with epilepsy exhibit increased high-frequency brain activity in the right hemisphere when making risky bets and the left hemisphere when avoiding risks. The findings suggest a brain-based mechanism for risk-taking biases, which can be influenced by past behaviors.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 7, 2019

Feelings determine from which side we embrace each other

Researchers studied over 2,500 hugs to understand how emotional context affects hug behavior. They found that emotional states influence the lateralization of hugs, with left-sided hugs more common in positive situations and right-sided hugs in negative contexts. Handedness and footedness also play a role in predicting hug direction.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalPsychological Research·DateJan 24, 2018

Infant brains develop years faster than we thought

Scientists discovered that infant brain development occurs years faster than previously thought, with face perception abilities emerging as early as four months. The study used electroencephalography to track brain activity in response to facial images, revealing a unique right-hemisphere processing of faces.

SourceeLife·DateJun 2, 2015

Right-brain stroke could be underdiagnosed

A German study found that patients with right-brain stroke were less likely to receive thrombolysis treatment and be admitted to hospital within 3 hours of stroke onset compared to those with left-hemispheric events. This underdiagnosis poses challenges for optimizing stroke management, particularly in the early stages.

SourceThe Lancet_DELETED·JournalThe Lancet·DateJul 28, 2005

On the scent

Scientists discover that people prefer certain smells when sniffed through one nostril over the other. The left nostril is more accurate for identifying odours, while the right nostril enhances pleasantness perception. This finding fits with brain processing theories and may lead to further research on smell perception.

SourceNew Scientist·JournalThe New Scientist·DateJan 4, 2000