Laterality research has come a long way since Pierre Paul Broca discovered differences between the left and right hemisphere in language lateralization. Since then, hemispheric asymmetries have been identified to be a fundamental principle in sensory, cognitive and motor processing alike indicating their paramount role in the information processing stream. In the past decade, neuroscientific research has developed a wide range of new methodological tools that significantly improve scientific insights and the reliability of findings in the field. However, laterality research has not yet embraced some of these new tools available to the community. In this perspective paper, we outline the 10 most outstanding challenges and opportunities in laterality research to us and how to approach each of them in the next decade. These issues encompass (1) the necessity for more meta-research, more representative samples and higher ecological validity to increase reproducibility and external validity, (2) using novel experimental and analysis techniques in both animal and human research and (3) exploring the role of laterality in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and their treatments. We hope that this paper inspires discussion and more research in the coming 10 years in laterality research to shape the next decade on a solid scientific fundament.

Ocklenburg, S., Berretz, G., Packheiser, J. and Friedrich, P. (2020): Laterality 2020: entering the next decade, Laterality,  DOI:10.1080/1357650X.2020.1804396