Studies regarding the specialization of the brain’s hemisphere in a variety of organisms has presented a conclusive knowledge associated with the specialized functioning of the left and right cerebral hemispheres, commonly referred to as the brain’s functional lateralization. In the animal kingdom, brain hemispheres are specialized in processing and analyzing information in an asymmetrical way (Wells, Hepper, Milligan, & Barnad, 2016). Substantial evidence from studies have revealed an increased asymmetrical manifestation of the brain hemisphere in canine species such as dogs. Results obtained from various researchers on disparate animal frameworks, also indicate that the basic lateralized neural processes are indistinguishable in vertebrate brains with a specific specialization on the brain’s left hemisphere during the modification of routine behaviors and on the right hemisphere during the detection of unexpected stimuli, commonly referred to as novelty and during the expression of extreme emotions such as fear and aggression (Siniscalchi, et. al ., 2010). The insight on cerebral lateralization with reference to emotional processing in dogs and cats can be easily studied due to the easy detection of asymmetries in behavior which indirectly represents lateralized cognitive emotion processing. These behavioral asymmetries can also provide an in-depth understanding into the distinct valences of a particular emotion being perceived by the animal. Motor lateralization seeks to describe or recount the preference for utilizing one body side or limb rather than the other to perform a particular task. The paper will critically analyze the aspects of motor laterality such as gender differences, directional preferences, and paw preferences in dogs and cats.
Paw Preference and Gender Difference
The asymmetries of motor functioning in different invertebrate and vertebrate species including dogs have been extensively reported in various studies. In dogs, motor lateralization has been largely concentrated on behavioral lateralization in the preferential use of the forelimb. Paw preference in dogs have been examined using various methods such as the removal of blanket or an adhesive plaster from the dog’s head and eye respectively, retrieval of food, removal of a piece of tape on the dog’s nose, and the raising of a dog’s hind limb during urination among others (Wells, Hepper, Milligan & Barnad, 2017). There is a direct correlation amid the motor laterality of a dog and its immunity response through an asymmetrical regulation derived from the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system (Siniscalachi, Cirone, Guaticci, Quaranta, 2014). Left-pawed and Right-pawed dogs display disparate immune response patterns. Various studies reveal that right-pawed dogs exhibit a high percentage of granulocytes, a high count in y-globulins, interferon, antibody titres, and anti-rabies gamma serum level (Quaranta et. al ., 2006). Left-pawed dogs, on the other hand, show a high count in lymphocytes and an increased expression of distinct interleukin genes after an immune challenge.
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Ambidextrous dogs display a significantly higher catecholamine level increase following the administration of rabies vaccine than the lateralized dogs. The direction of paw preference in dogs is also associated with the brain’s anatomical asymmetries (Siniscalachi, Bertino & Quaranta, 2014). Substantial proof from various studies reveal a significant variation in callosal size, especially in the dog’s posterior segment (isthmus). Right-pawed dogs had a lager callosal size than left-pawed dogs. Post-mortem examinations have also exhibited asymmetries in the morphology of canine hippocampi. Canine hippocampi is linked to both paw preference and sex (larger in males than females) (Aydinlio et. al ., 2006). Female dogs that are left-pawed tend to exhibit a bigger hippocampi than the right –pawed females. Some studies have also revealed that right-pawed dogs are associated with calmer responses to strangers and novel stimuli and lower arousal than ambilateral and right-pawed dogs. Studies also show that right-pawed dogs indicate a high rate of success in training compared to left-pawed dogs. Dogs associated with a paw preference have been found to be less reactive to loud noises than those with no paw preference.
Dogs with a strong paw preference have also been associated with increased boldness and decreased cautiousness as opposed to those with a weak paw preference (. These dogs were found to be less susceptible to anxiety and arousal, quicker to relaxing and adapting to a new environment, and they displayed a relatively calm response to strangers and novel stimuli. Cats, on the other hand, do not have an overall paw preference. A study conducted by Uner and Necip revealed that there was no overall paw-preference in cats (McDowells, Wells & Hepper, 2018). The right-preference among female cats exhibited a right-bias as opposed to males. The male left-preference exhibited more preference than the right-preferent males. Right-preferent females displayed a significantly higher mean than their male counterparts. Paw preferences revealed consistency through time although, there were no establishments in learning tendencies. The study also revealed a right-bias associated with paw preference in cats enhanced by the right-preferent females under biological influences (Konerding et. al ., 2018).
Directional preference and Gender Difference
Under calm magnetic field conditions of the earth, dogs tend to move towards the north or south and exhibit their magnetic alignment. A study aimed at assessing the dog’s directional preference through analyzing the circular distribution the dog’s mean vectors was conducted by Admankova et. al , (2017). The study involved dogs of different lateralization, sex, body size, and age. Substantial evidence obtained from this research revealed that there exists a perceptible preference for the north among dogs. The preference was highly exhibited in medium-sized and small breeds as opposed to larger breeds. The preference was also increasingly significant in females, dogs, in lateralized dogs, and in old dogs. The preference reduced significantly in young dogs and in male dogs. With reference to trail direction, male dogs and young dogs are capable of identifying the correct trail direction as opposed to female dogs and old dogs respectively. Dogs are also capable of identifying trails made from the left direction to the right direction as opposed to those made from the right to the left direction. Dogs also employ olfactory cues to enhance their correct elucidation of direction.
A cat’s cerebral cortex is characterized with one and two dozen representations of its visual field and disparate functional specializations. Visual field maps (six) often lie along the suprasylvian sulcus’ bank, anterior and lateral to the visual regions of the occipital cortex. Many neurons in the PLLS and PMLS, usually exhibit selectivity with reference to the direction of the light stimuli moving along the receptive field with different degrees of directional tuning (Ribot, Tanaka, O’Hashi & Ajima, 2008). A strong tendency to effectively respond to centrifugal directions is associated with these neurons and therefore, the direction preference of these cells is dependent upon the location of the receptive fields in the visual field. The neuron’s binocular interaction and velocity preference is generally organized: binocular synergism is usually strongest in the visual field’s center and velocity preference appreciates with eccentricity (Weliky & Bosking, 2016). The cluster assessment in recording tracks, with reference to circular and radial cell categories indicate a group of cells with similar features in the lateral suprasyvian cortex which are formed through the amalgamation of the centripetal and centrifugal cells on one side and cells linked to directional preferences parallel to these on the other side.
References
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