Relationships Among Weights of Right and Left Cerebral Hemispheres, and Right Minus Left Brain Weight in Right-and Left-Pawed Male and Female Cats: Importance of Body Weight

Abstract

Interrelationships among the right- (R), left- (L) brain weights, R - L brain weight, and R + L brain weight were studied in adult cats. The raw brain weights and the brain weights relative to body weight (brain weight: body weight) were studied separately. The raw R - L brain weight showed no significant correlation with the raw R + L brain weight. The relative R - L brain weight was found to be positively linearly correlated with the R + L brain weight only in the right-pawed (RH) males. So, the asymmetry in relative brain weight increased with the relative total brain weight only in RH males, suggesting a common factor favoring an asymmetrical brain and an increased body weight (testosterone). The relative K- and L-brain weights were found to be inversely related to the relative R - L brain weight only in the RH female cats with R - L brain weight smaller than zero (testosterone in males, estrogen in females?). It was concluded that hormonal factors influencing the body weight may also influence the asymmetrical brain development in cats

Key Words:

• Cerebral lateralization
• brain weight
• body weight
• anatomical asymmetry
• cat brain