Hemisphere asymmetry in sympathetic control of the human myocardium.

Hemisphere asymmetry in sympathetic control of myocardial performance was studied in healthy human subjects using lateralized film presentation for selective sensory stimulation of the hemispheres and impedance cardiography for the evaluation of cardiac output, systolic time intervals and myocardial contractility. Results revealed a clear and consistent right hemisphere predominance in sympathetically mediated control of various components of myocardial performance. There is reason to assume that the obtained hemisphere differences in autonomic control of the heart are self-reliant processes not depending on emotion-related hemisphere asymmetry. As far as we know, this is the first study examining the distinct roles of the cerebral hemispheres in neural control of ventricular myocardial functions. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.