Temperature asymmetry of the rat cerebral hemispheres

The field potential and temperature of the cerebral cortex were studied in right-handed, left-handed, and ambidextrous rats. Temperature asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres was revealed, which proved to differ in rats with different types of interhemispheric asymmetry: the interhemispheric tempera ture gradient was maximal in left-handed rats, minimal in right-handed rats , and intermediate in ambidextrous rats. Both parameters of energy metaboli sm (field potential and temperature of the cerebral cortex) correlated with one another, and the structure of these statistically significant correlat ions was different in right-handed, left-handed, and ambidextrous rats. It is suggested that the previously known types of interhemispheric asymmetry- biochemical, neurophysiological, and organoelement-are based on differences in the intensity of energy-consuming processes in the cerebral hemispheres .