Assessing Cerebral Dominance in the Geriatric Population: A Neuropsychological Perspective

Abstract Cerebral dominance refers to the preferential engagement of one hemisphere of the brain – left or right – in specific cognitive operations. However, modern neuroscience asserts that cognitive functions are not confined to isolated hemispheres but distributed across dynamic neural networks. This study examined hemispheric preference patterns among elderly individuals aged 60 years and above from rural and urban regions of Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh. Using a descriptive–comparative design, a purposive sample of 120 participants was assessed through the Alert Scale of Cognitive Style (Crane, 1989), adapted and validated in Hindi. Results indicated that rural elderly participants displayed stronger right-hemispheric tendencies, while urban participants leaned toward left-hemispheric preference. The findings are interpreted within contemporary frameworks such as the Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults model and Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition, highlighting the brain’s adaptive bilateral activation and compensatory mechanisms during aging. Effect size analyses confirmed that observed differences were statistically significant and meaningful. The study underscores the importance of context-sensitive cognitive interventions for elderly populations, reflecting environmental and lifestyle influences on neurocognitive aging.