Question

If a person is a leftie, which side of his/her brain works?

Answer 1

Same side as others work who r righty

Answer 2

Motor control in the brain is contralaterally organised, meaning the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body and the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body. Those who are right-handed would utilise the motor cortex in their left hemisphere to write. On the other hand, those who are left-handed would use the motor cortex located within their right hemisphere.

This can be seen in brain imaging studies where people are asked to imagine carrying out particular hand actions such as throwing or writing. Those who are dominant in their left hand show greater activation in their right hemisphere whilst those who are right hand dominant show more activation in their left hemisphere.

Interestingly, those who are left-handed seem to show less hemispheric lateralisation. Hemispheric lateralisation is the idea that the two hemispheres in the brain perform different functions. For example, in the majority of the population (those who are right-handed), language appears to be located in the left hemisphere. However, for those who are left-handed this seems to be less lateralised, meaning the lateralisation is weaker and they use both hemispheres rather than just the left one.