Cortical asymmetry on magnetic resonance imaging related to unilateral hemispheric function. A preliminary investigation.

Cortical brain R/L asymmetry was assessed by spin echo lateral sagittal sections on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) classified by visual comparison and by measuring the length of the parietal operculum and the inclination of the sylvian fissure. The results were related to handedness, selected as a lateralized function. The results indicate that assessment of the cortical surface by sagittal MRI is feasible. Comparison between images from two imaging systems (40 hemispheres: 0.15 T/0.75 and 1 cm section thickness versus 4 hemispheres: 0.5 T/0.5 cm section thickness) indicates a minimum standard for this approach on a large scale to be set by the more powerful system, mainly dependent on image noise and volume averaging factors.