Differences between left- and right-hand reaction time rhythms: indications of shifts in strategies of human brain activity

Reaction time (RT) measurements serve as quantitative indices for pilots' cognitive processes of the brain. To examine if laterality exists in the brain hemispheres we measured, by the use of a pilot Evaluation System (PES), right-and left-hand performance rhythms as indicative of RT to audible and visual stimuli. The tests included sets of simple tasks and complex ones to which a secondary task composed of audio signals was added. The accuracy of recorded reaction time was 27 ms. Seven right-handed males, 27-42 years of age, experienced with the PES flight simulator, were tested every 2 h, nine times daily (starting at 08:00 h) during 3 consecutive days. The results indicated that for simple tasks, the 24 h period of RT rhythm is either exclusive or prominent for both hands. For complex tasks the prominent period of RT is 24 h for the right (dominant) hand and 8 h for the left (non-dominant) hand (right-hand 24 h period F-stat = 140, r(2) = 0.62 and 8 h period F-stat = 25, r(2) = 0.22; left-hand 24 h period F-stat = 44, r(2) = 0.34 and 8 h period F-stat = 100, r(2) = 0.54). The findings suggest that a laterality exist; in the brain hemispheres with regard to differences in rhythm periodicities. The expression of this laterality is dependent on the task-load level and points to a strategy of linkage and integrity in brain activity. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.