One of the reference frames that allow our perception of space is centered on our dominant hand

What is it about?

Our perception of space is fundamental to perceive the environment and to move in relation to it. Although we consciously perceive a unitary space, our brain uses many frames of reference for this complex function. For instance, we already know that we analyze the space around us and the objects within it in reference to our body position (ego-centered spatial system). In our study, we showed that in absence of visual feedback, our two hands tend to show different behaviors: either right-handers or left-handers exhibit an ipsilateral bias only when bisecting horizontal lines with their dominant hand. We interpreted our results as evidence of a frame of reference centered on the dominant hand.

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Why is it important?

Our results and the hypothesis of a frame of reference centered on the dominant hand can help in understanding not only the mechanisms underlying our spatial cognition but also some deficits due to brain lesions, such as unilateral spatial neglect.