Russian Neuropsychology of memory after Luria

Luria discusses "interhemispheric interactions" with a variety of pupils collaborating.

The right hemisphere is slower in information processing and less able to regulate one's mental activity. The right hemisphere analyzes perceptive features but not semiotic features (phonetic and semantic) of stimuli. The left hemisphere does the opposite. (Meerson and Zalman, Russsian). Cognitive deficits of the left hemisphere are more evident with cortical lesions, whereas subdominant syndromes appear after subcortical lesions of the right hemisphere ( Moskovichyute LK, Simernitskaya EG, Smirnov NA, Filatov YF (1982) On the role of the corpus callosum in organization of higher cortical functions. in Tsetkova LS, Zeigarnik BV eds. AR Luria and Modern Psychology (in Russian) Moscow Unviersity Press, Moscow, 143-150.). Modality specific (visual, tactile or acoustic) disturbances of interhemispheric interaction and the dyscopia-dysgraphia syndrome (ability to write only with the right hand and draw only with the left one) occur after partial dissection of the corpus callosum but only the posterior part (Moskovichyute et al, 1982 IBID). Left hemisphere lesions were more pronounced but also rehabbed better, possibly due to greater plasticity of the left hemisphere (IBID) or due to a transformation of the interhemispheric interaction (Krotkova).

A different idea is that the right hemisphere is involved in elementary, involuntary and automatized mnestic activity, whereas the left hemisphere is responsible for complex, voluntarymemorizing (Simernitskaya, 1978) [blogger note: Luria published a letter to this effect in Neuropsychologia around 1973, whereupon a reply criticized his methodology and finding].

Separately-- I have to find the citation for this again-- Luria proposes the left hemisphere reads consonants, the right vowels. Also Glozman claims left hemisphere lesions cause more retroactive inhibition, that right hemisphere ones cause proactive inhibition. The left does selectivity and and activity of memorizing, the right ensures retention of item order and plasticity and flexibility of memorizing.