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Is some part in one hemisphere the decision maker and "calling the shots" - controlling the opposite side's hand "directly" and controlling its own side's hand through the corpus callosum. Or: is there some "Gestalt" of parts in both hemispheres working as one making the decision?

If the latter - it would seem counter intuitive to have a deciding part which is not "unified" in one region, having to go back and forth through the corpus callosum for deciding.

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Why can't the hemispheres coordinate? Even though control of muscles on one side of the body may primarily originate in the opposite hemisphere, inter-hemisphere communication and coordination is vital to proper functioning of the body. –  MattDMo Jun 17 '14 at 19:18
@MattDMo Yes. I can't seem to formulate the question clearly. Perhaps better phrasing would be to ask: Is one side dominant in the decision and "calling the shots" or is it some "Gestalt" of the two hemispheres working together on the same "level"? –  user133943 Jun 17 '14 at 19:24
@user133943 This article should interest you –  The Last Word Jun 18 '14 at 10:35
@MattDMo I edited my question. Thank you for your response. –  user133943 Jun 18 '14 at 18:21
@TheLastWord I edited my question. Thank you for your response. –  user133943 Jun 18 '14 at 18:22

1 Answer 1

I am not sure I fully understand your question, it's a little unclear. But if I understand the question correctly it is how to we coordinate movement on both sides of the body?

Well this can occur because we have connections between both hemispheres of the brain. The major connection is called the corpus collosum, this is a white matter tract that allows signals from one side of the body to pass to the other side of the body.

In some rare cases there have been individuals who have had this connection severed, for these individuals each side of the body may perform tasks of which there other side of the body is unaware.

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I tried upvoting your answer because it answers my question as originally posted. But I don't have enough reputation for upvoting. I have also edited my question. –  user133943 Jun 18 '14 at 18:20

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