Interhemispheric cooperation for familiar but not unfamiliar face processing

Evidence for interhemispheric cooperation during language processing has been demonstrated for words, but not for meaningless pseudowords. Specifically, responses were found to be faster and more accurate when identical copies of a word were presented bilaterally to both hemispheres, relative to unilateral single presentations. This bilateral advantage for words seems to be a robust effect in normals. The present study addressed the question of whether the bilateral advantage is restricted to lexical material or whether it is a more global phenomenon occurring for meaningful material in general. Thirty healthy participants performed a familiarity decision in which one copy of familiar and unfamiliar faces was presented tachistoscopically to the right visual hemifield (RVF), the left visual hemifield (LVF) or simultaneously to both visual hemifields (bilateral condition, BVF). We obtained a highly significant familiarity by visual field interaction(P < 0.006) showing that only for familiar faces, a bilateral advantage was obtained. Unfamiliar face processing did not yield a bilateral advantage. We conclude that interhemispheric cooperation only occurs for meaningful material for which cortical representations can be assumed.