Experience-dependent emergence of functional asymmetries

Right head-turning preference is assumed to be a developmental default. This motor asymmetry seems to influence the development of other lateralised behaviours-such as handedness-as a consequence of orienting vision towards the right side of the body. To document the role of visual experience in promoting lateralised functions we assessed head-turning preference and handedness in a group of congenitally blind human adults. We found a left-side preference for head turning but a clear righthandedness in the same individuals. This asymmetric relationship suggests that absence of visual experience can alter head-turning preference and that handedness can emerge without visual orientation towards the right side. Our findings shed new light on the role of visual sensory experience in shaping functional asymmetries and suggest that single-gene models and environment alone cannot fully explain the emergence of functional asymmetries in humans. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.