ABSTRACT
Functional cerebral asymmetries (FCAs) refer to variation in neural function between the left and right cerebral hemisphere. Small but robust sex differences in FCAs are frequently observed. However, there are considerable inconsistencies between studies due to between- and within-sex variation in sex hormonal environments, i.e., during prenatal development and across the menstrual cycle, respectively. FCAs have been studied mainly in cognitive domains, with FCAs related to affective and social behavior largely ignored, especially in the context of neuroendocrinology. We propose that the underlying hormonal mechanisms by which FCAs are organized during early ontogenesis and modulated later in life show similarities between affective, cognitive, and social processes.
