Eighteen normal men and women had a left hemisphere advantage for
processing a verbal task, but depressed women showed a trend toward right
hemisphere superiority. In depression the right hemisphere may share
functions performed exclusively by the left hemisphere in normal subjects.
Altered laterality may be a trait of depression-prone people or a change
related to depressive episodes themselves. In the latter case, the right
hemisphere may be compensating for relative deactivation of the dominant
left hemisphere.Abstract Teaser