Are you left-handed? Brain scan reveals you are more creative

Scientists have found that human handedness can play a crucial role in understanding how human brains can work. The researchers have found that brains of left-handed people differ from right-handed folks.

According to Eric Zillmer, a professor of neuropsychology at Drexel University, left-handers display less brain lateralisation than right-handers.

The left side of the brain is usually associated with speech, writing, arithmetic, language, and comprehension, while the right side controls creativity, musical skills, and artistic expression.

The researchers have found that for most right-handers — for tasks involving language, the left side of the brain is more active than the right half. However, in most left-handers, this isn’t the case.

According to Zillmer, most left-handed people actually exhibit more activity in their right hemisphere for language tasks. As lefties rely less on the left hemisphere, researchers describe this as displaying less brain lateralisation.

A 2010 study revealed that left-handers used both left and right regions of the brain when looking at faces. But for the right-handers in the study, recognising faces was largely localized to the right side of the brain.

According to the scientists, the possibility that lefties are more creative could also be due in part to the way left-handed people are constantly having to adapt to a world designed for right-handers.

It is still not known why only 10 percent of the population is left-handed. A 2020 study had revealed that handedness is at least partly inherited and may be determined by genetic factors.