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Quizzes > Health & Medicine > Human Anatomy & Medicine

Ready to Master Split Brain Concepts? Take the Quiz!

Dive into Brain Lateralization: Take the Split Brain Quiz!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art cutout of split brain hemispheres on teal background for a split brain lateralization quiz

Ever wondered which hemisphere leads your thinking? Our free split brain quiz puts your knowledge of brain lateralization to the test. Building on a basic brain structure quiz , you'll tackle neuroscience trivia questions, explore split brain syndrome in a quick split brain syndrome test, and assess interhemispheric processing with a corpus callosum function quiz. Ready for more? This brain lateralization quiz reveals your cognitive strengths in an engaging way. If you've challenged yourself with a parts of the brain quiz or a brain anatomy quiz , get set for the ultimate brain exercise. Start now and discover which side rules your mind!

What is the primary role of the corpus callosum?
To regulate hormonal release
To connect the left and right cerebral hemispheres
To process auditory information
To control the autonomic nervous system
The corpus callosum is the largest commissural fiber bundle in the brain, responsible for transferring motor, sensory, and cognitive information between the two hemispheres. Severing it in split-brain surgery isolates the two sides, preventing interhemispheric communication. More on corpus callosum anatomy
Which visual field projects information to the right hemisphere?
Right visual field
Left visual field
Both visual fields equally
Neither visual field directly
Visual information from the left visual field is sent to the right hemisphere via the optic chiasm. In split-brain patients, such information cannot cross back to the left hemisphere for verbal report. Visual field processing
What is the surgical procedure called when the corpus callosum is severed?
Lobotomy
Commissurotomy
Temporal lobectomy
Hemisphericctomy
Commissurotomy refers to cutting the commissural fibers, most notably the corpus callosum, to limit the spread of epileptic seizures. The procedure isolates the two hemispheres. Commissurotomy overview
Which hemisphere is typically dominant for language in right-handed individuals?
Right hemisphere
Left hemisphere
Both hemispheres equally
Cerebellum
In most right-handed people, language areas such as Broca’s and Wernicke’s regions are located in the left hemisphere, making it dominant for speech production and comprehension. Language lateralization
The right hemisphere is especially adept at processing which type of information?
Grammar and syntax
Visuospatial and facial recognition tasks
Arithmetic calculations
Fine motor coordination
Functional studies show the right hemisphere excels at spatial reasoning, facial recognition, and interpreting emotional tone, while the left is more language-focused. Right hemisphere functions
In split-brain patients, if an object is placed in the left hand without vision, they can typically:
Verbally name the object
Select a matching object with the left hand
Draw the object with the right hand
Describe the object’s color
Touch information from the left hand goes to the right hemisphere, which cannot communicate verbally with the left language-dominant hemisphere. However, the right hemisphere can still guide the left hand to match the object. Tactile matching in split-brain
Which smaller commissure connects the two temporal lobes and may allow limited transfer after callosotomy?
Hippocampal commissure
Anterior commissure
Posterior commissure
Fornix
The anterior commissure is a smaller fiber bundle connecting temporal lobes, including olfactory and emotional information, and can mediate residual interhemispheric transfer after callosotomy. Anterior commissure role
During a Wada test, anesthetizing the left hemisphere typically results in temporary loss of:
Balance and coordination
Speech production
Pupillary reflex
Visual acuity
The Wada test temporarily disables one hemisphere using anesthetic. Injecting into the left carotid artery suppresses left-hemisphere function, causing aphasia in language-dominant individuals. Wada test details
What term describes the inability of split-brain patients to verbally identify stimuli in the left visual field?
Hemispatial neglect
Anomia
Interhemispheric disconnection
Agnosia
Interhemispheric disconnection refers to the failure of information transfer between hemispheres. When images are shown to the left visual field, the right hemisphere sees them but cannot relay the information for verbal naming through the severed corpus callosum. Split-brain phenomenon
Hemispheric lateralization refers to:
Equal function of both hemispheres
Specialization of certain tasks to one hemisphere
Continuous information flow across the corpus callosum
Complete independence of each hemisphere
Hemispheric lateralization describes how specific functions, like language or spatial processing, are more strongly represented in one hemisphere than the other, optimizing brain efficiency. Overview of lateralization
A partial severing of the corpus callosum, targeting only the anterior portion, is called:
Total callosotomy
Partial callosotomy
Laminotomy
Subdural hemorrhage
Partial callosotomy involves cutting only the front portion of the corpus callosum, often sparing posterior fibers to reduce complications but still limiting seizure spread. Partial vs complete
Which device is used to present visual stimuli to one hemisphere at a time in split-brain experiments?
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
Functional MRI
Tachistoscope
Positron emission tomography
A tachistoscope displays images briefly to one visual field at a time, ensuring stimuli are processed by a single hemisphere before the eyes shift. This technique is foundational in split-brain research. Tachistoscope use
The chimeric face test assesses hemispheric differences in:
Auditory perception
Facial emotion recognition
Fine motor control
Olfactory discrimination
The chimeric face test shows composite images split between left and right halves. Subjects typically identify emotional expressions processed more strongly by one hemisphere, revealing lateralization patterns. Chimeric face test
Prosody and emotional tone of speech are predominantly processed by the:
Left hemisphere
Right hemisphere
Brainstem
Cerebellum
While the left hemisphere handles the semantic content of language, the right hemisphere modulates prosody, intonation, and emotional context, contributing to the expressive qualities of speech. Prosody processing
In dichotic listening tasks, a right ear advantage suggests:
Left hemisphere language dominance
Right hemisphere language dominance
Auditory cortex damage
Impaired attentional control
Dichotic listening presents different sounds to each ear simultaneously. A stronger performance in the right ear indicates left hemisphere dominance for language, as the right ear projects primarily to the left hemisphere. Dichotic listening study
Interhemispheric transfer refers to:
The process of one hemisphere taking over the other’s blood supply
Cross-communication of information between hemispheres
Loss of function after commissurotomy
Simultaneous bilateral activation
Interhemispheric transfer is the relay of sensory, motor, or cognitive information across the two hemispheres via commissural pathways such as the corpus callosum. Interhemispheric communication
Which neuroimaging technique is commonly used to assess hemispheric functional lateralization in real time?
CT scan
Diffusion tensor imaging
Functional MRI (fMRI)
X-ray
Functional MRI measures blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signals to map active brain areas during tasks, revealing differential hemispheric activation patterns for language, spatial, or emotional processing. fMRI basics
In a split-brain patient, when the word “KEY” is flashed to the left visual field, the patient:
Will say “key” immediately
Will pick up a key with the left hand but cannot say it
Will draw a picture of a key with the right hand
Will be unable to recognize it in any way
Left visual field input goes to the right hemisphere, which lacks direct language output in split-brain patients. The right hemisphere can guide the left hand to select an actual key but cannot produce the spoken word. Flashed word experiments
Probst bundles, seen in callosal agenesis, are:
Excessive growth of cortical gyri
Aberrant fiber tracts that fail to cross midline
Meningeal adhesions
Calcifications in the corpus callosum
In agenesis of the corpus callosum, Probst bundles are formed when callosal axons grow but cannot cross the midline, instead running longitudinally along each hemisphere. Probst bundles study
Which region of the corpus callosum connects the occipital lobes?
Genu
Splenium
Rostrum
Isthmus
The splenium is the posterior portion of the corpus callosum and contains fibers that interconnect occipital cortices, facilitating visual information transfer. Callosal subdivisions
Which structure is NOT considered a commissure in the brain?
Posterior commissure
Corpus callosum
Fornix
Anterior commissure
The fornix is a major fiber tract of the limbic system connecting hippocampus to mammillary bodies but does not serve as a commissure between hemispheres. Commissures specifically cross the midline to link homologous areas. Commissural pathways
Callosal agenesis most commonly leads to deficits in:
Language production
Bimanual coordination
Basic sensory perception
Auditory localization
Without a functional corpus callosum, coordinating complex tasks that require integrated bilateral movements—like tapping different rhythms with each hand—is impaired. Agenesis and coordination
In rhyming judgment tasks with split-brain patients, the hemisphere with phonological processing advantage is the:
Left hemisphere
Right hemisphere
Cerebellum
Brainstem
Phonological analysis and rhyme detection are language-based processes handled primarily by the left hemisphere, giving it an advantage in tasks requiring sound-based judgments. Rhyming study
Alien hand syndrome in split-brain patients is characterized by:
Total paralysis of one hand
Involuntary, purposeful movements of one hand
Complete loss of tactile sensation
Auditory hallucinations in one hemisphere
Alien hand syndrome involves involuntary, seemingly purposeful movements of the disconnected hand, reflecting a lack of conscious control by the functional hemisphere. Alien hand review
Homotopic callosal fibers connect:
Non-homologous areas between hemispheres
Homologous cortical regions across hemispheres
Cortex to subcortical structures
Each hemisphere to the spinal cord
Homotopic fibers run between identical (homologous) cortical regions in each hemisphere and are crucial for coordinating symmetrical functions. Heterotopic fibers connect non-identical areas. Callosal fiber types
Approximately how many axons constitute the human corpus callosum?
2 million
20 million
200 million
1 billion
Neuroanatomical studies estimate the corpus callosum contains around 200 million myelinated axons, making it the largest white-matter structure in the brain. Axon count study
Which part of the corpus callosum primarily connects motor cortices of both hemispheres?
Genu
Midbody
Splenium
Rostrum
The midbody of the corpus callosum contains fibers linking bilateral primary motor and some somatosensory areas, facilitating coordinated motor control. Callosal topography
In diffusion tensor imaging studies of the corpus callosum, increased radial diffusivity typically indicates:
Axonal sprouting
Enhanced myelination
Demyelination or myelin sheath disruption
Increased fiber density
Radial diffusivity refers to water diffusion perpendicular to axons. Elevated radial diffusivity is associated with loss or damage of myelin sheaths, as seen in demyelinating conditions. DTI metrics explained
Mutations in which gene are most commonly linked to X-linked corpus callosum agenesis?
LIS1
MECP2
L1CAM
APP
L1CAM mutations disrupt axonal guidance and are a well-known cause of X-linked hydrocephalus and agenesis of the corpus callosum, impairing midline crossing of fibers. L1CAM and callosal defects
After a complete commissurotomy, some limited interhemispheric transfer of olfactory and emotional signals is thought to occur via the:
Posterior commissure
Anterior commissure
Hippocampal formation
Optic chiasm
The anterior commissure remains intact after callosotomy and carries fibers—including olfactory and limbic connections—allowing minimal residual interhemispheric communication. Residual transfer pathways
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Hemispheric Specialization -

    Learn how the left and right brain hemispheres differ in processing language, spatial reasoning, and other cognitive functions.

  2. Explain Corpus Callosum Function -

    Describe the role of the corpus callosum in facilitating interhemispheric communication and how its disruption leads to split brain syndrome.

  3. Identify Split Brain Syndrome Symptoms -

    Recognize hallmark clinical signs and neurological deficits that arise when the two hemispheres cannot effectively communicate.

  4. Apply Knowledge to Quiz Questions -

    Use your understanding of brain lateralization to accurately answer neuroscience trivia and split brain quiz items.

  5. Evaluate Research Implications -

    Assess how findings from split brain studies inform broader theories of cognitive processing and brain organization.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Hemispheric Specialization -

    The left hemisphere primarily processes language, logic, and arithmetic, whereas the right hemisphere handles spatial reasoning, facial recognition, and creativity. A mnemonic like "Logic Left, Art on the Right" can help cement these functions. This concept is central to many brain lateralization quiz questions, as outlined in NIH resources and APA journals.

  2. Corpus Callosum Function -

    The corpus callosum is the brain's largest commissural tract, ferrying neural signals between hemispheres through roughly 200 million axons. For example, intact callosal communication lets you name an object flashed to your left visual field by routing info to Broca's area on the left. Sketching a simple "bridge" diagram can reinforce corpus callosum pathways when prepping for a split brain quiz.

  3. Commissurotomy and Split-Brain Procedure -

    A commissurotomy, or split-brain surgery, severs the corpus callosum to treat intractable epilepsy, offering direct evidence of lateralized functions. In Gazzaniga's classic spoon test, patients' left hands could grab a hidden spoon while their speech centers in the left hemisphere couldn't name it. Remembering this "Gazzaniga spoon trick" is a playful way to recall split brain syndrome test scenarios.

  4. Contralateral Processing -

    Each hemisphere receives sensory input and controls motor output for the opposite side of the body; a flash in the left visual field is processed by the right occipital cortex. In split-brain patients, this leads to striking dissociations, like drawing with the left hand without verbal identification. Use the catchphrase "Left sees right, right sees left" to lock in this principle for your brain lateralization quiz.

  5. Neuroplasticity and Compensation -

    After corpus callosum severing, secondary pathways like the anterior commissure and subcortical routes can partially restore interhemispheric communication. Studies in Neuropsychologia show that some split-brain patients regain subtle cross-hemisphere coordination over months to years. Highlighting this plasticity in your answers underscores the dynamic nature of brain adaptation.

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