Applications of verbal dichotic listening in neurological and neuropsychiatric clinical practice

Aim. To review the most recent data regarding clinical applications of the dichotic listening technique in neurology and neuropsychiatry. Development. The technique is described, in addition to the two main cognitive abilities we can measure with it. First, language lateralization, following Kimura's model as an anatomical explanation of the right ear advantage effect. Second, the attentional function, including Kinsbourne's model and the forced attention paradigm from Hugdahl as a valuable working tool to evaluate selective attention and executive functions. In subsequent sections, a review is offered respecting both types of cognitive processes for schizophrenia, depression, dyslexia and multiple sclerosis, along with data from our laboratory regarding the last illness. Conclusions. The dichotic listening is a useful technique to evaluate the integrity of the temporal and frontal lobes, as well as the interhemispheric communication across the corpus callosum. Application to the clinical practice pretends to incorporate it to the diagnostic, to the description of the pathologies profiles and also to the prediction of illness course, resulting promising in some cases although with reasonable limits while looking for additional research.