Lateral Profile and Cognitive Development in Childhood

Abstract

The article highlights the influence of lateralization on the cognitive development of older preschool and primary school-age children. It presents neuropsychological examination data using A. R. Luria’s methods before and after neuropsychological correction of disorders. It was hypothesized that the functional sensorimotor asymmetry profile of the brain influences cognitive development in childhood, and that left-handed children exhibit specific developmental differences in their lateral profile compared to right-handed children. The sample consisted of 50 left-handed children 5-9 years old with normotypical development. Lateral preferences were determined by means of a battery of motor sensorimotor tests to identify the leading hand, foot, eye, and ear. The sample was categorized into three groups: left-handed children with intramodal laterality, intermodal laterality, and no differences in functional lateralization. The general level of mental and cognitive development was assessed in seven mental spheres: general concepts, neurodynamics of mental functions, motor sphere, gnosis, memory, thinking, and speech. The influence of the lateral profile on cognitive development in childhood was empirically identified. A comparative analysis of data on left- and right-handed children is presented, highlighting the developmental characteristics of their mental functions with different types of laterality, drawing on the results of a previous study (Заречная, 2022). The types of lateral profiles that negatively impact cognitive development in childhood are identified. It has been proven that timely neuropsychological assistance in correcting deficient mental functions promotes the development of the most favorable lateral preferences, the full manifestation of which is formed by the age of 9. The older the child with an immature lateral profile, the more characteristic is their cognitive deficit.