The cerebral laterality of "minimal brain damage" children.

"Minimal brain damage" children and controls matched for age, sex and intelligence were assessed for lateral preference, unimanual motor speed, reaction time to lateralised stimuli and dichotic ear advantage. "Minimal brain damage" children were found to be less extreme and stable in their lateral preferences, slower, and less lateralised in their motor performance. This suggests a deficit of interhemispheric integration, although the groups did not differ in dichotic listening performance, the normal group failing to show the expected ear advantage. "Minimal brain damage" children may be suffering from a partial disconnection syndrome.