{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T03:01:27Z","timestamp":1760238087841,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,17]],"date-time":"2020-07-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1594944000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001655","name":"Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Promos grant to Pamela Villar Gonz\u00e1lez"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Promos grant to Pamela Villar Gonz\u00e1lez"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001655","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Symmetry"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Left-hemispheric language dominance is a well-known characteristic of the human language system. However, it has been shown that leftward language lateralization decreases dramatically when people communicate using whistles. Whistled languages present a transformation of a spoken language into whistles, facilitating communication over great distances. In order to investigate the laterality of Silbo Gomero, a form of whistled Spanish, we used a vocal and a whistled dichotic listening task in a sample of 75 healthy Spanish speakers. Both individuals that were able to whistle and to understand Silbo Gomero and a non-whistling control group showed a clear right-ear advantage for vocal dichotic listening. For whistled dichotic listening, the control group did not show any hemispheric asymmetries. In contrast, the whistlers\u2019 group showed a right-ear advantage for whistled stimuli. This right-ear advantage was, however, smaller compared to the right-ear advantage found for vocal dichotic listening. In line with a previous study on language lateralization of whistled Turkish, these findings suggest that whistled language processing is associated with a decrease in left and a relative increase in right hemispheric processing. This shows that bihemispheric processing of whistled language stimuli occurs independent of language.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/sym12071183","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,22]],"date-time":"2020-07-22T05:10:30Z","timestamp":1595394630000},"page":"1183","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Lateralization of Auditory Processing of Silbo Gomero"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Pamela","family":"Villar Gonz\u00e1lez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany"}]},{"given":"Onur","family":"G\u00fcnt\u00fcrk\u00fcn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5882-3200","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sebastian","family":"Ocklenburg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1357","DOI":"10.1152\/physrev.00006.2011","article-title":"The brain basis of language processing: From structure to function","volume":"91","author":"Friederici","year":"2011","journal-title":"Physiol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2014.04.008","article-title":"The ontogenesis of language lateralization and its relation to handedness","volume":"43","author":"Ocklenburg","year":"2014","journal-title":"Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1585","DOI":"10.1007\/s00429-014-0746-4","article-title":"Heschl\u2019s gyrification pattern is related to speech-listening hemispheric lateralization: FMRI investigation in 281 healthy volunteers","volume":"220","author":"Marie","year":"2015","journal-title":"Brain Struct. Funct."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"74","DOI":"10.1093\/brain\/123.1.74","article-title":"Language lateralization in healthy right-handers","volume":"123 Pt 1","author":"Knecht","year":"2000","journal-title":"Brain"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2512","DOI":"10.1093\/brain\/123.12.2512","article-title":"Handedness and hemispheric language dominance in healthy humans","volume":"123","author":"Knecht","year":"2000","journal-title":"Brain"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"393","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn2113","article-title":"The cortical organization of speech processing","volume":"8","author":"Hickok","year":"2007","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1016\/S0001-6918(00)00062-7","article-title":"Lateralization of cognitive processes in the brain","volume":"105","author":"Hugdahl","year":"2000","journal-title":"Acta Psychol. (Amst.)"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"637","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuroimage.2013.02.080","article-title":"Left hemisphere lateralization for lexical and acoustic pitch processing in Cantonese speakers as revealed by mismatch negativity","volume":"83","author":"Gu","year":"2013","journal-title":"Neuroimage"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"304","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bandl.2007.02.009","article-title":"Hemispheric asymmetries in visual word-form processing: Progress, conflict, and evaluating theories","volume":"103","author":"Marsolek","year":"2007","journal-title":"Brain Lang."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1093\/deafed\/enm035","article-title":"Sign language and the brain: A review","volume":"13","author":"Campbell","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Deaf Stud. Deaf Educ."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1016\/S0093-934X(02)00013-5","article-title":"Role of the left hemisphere in sign language comprehension","volume":"82","author":"Hickok","year":"2002","journal-title":"Brain Lang."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"506","DOI":"10.1093\/cercor\/11.6.506","article-title":"Cortical representation of sign language: Comparison of deaf signers and hearing non-signers","volume":"11","author":"Uutela","year":"2001","journal-title":"Cereb. Cortex"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"216","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuropsychologia.2010.11.009","article-title":"Speech perception, rapid temporal processing, and the left hemisphere: A case study of unilateral pure word deafness","volume":"49","author":"Slevc","year":"2011","journal-title":"Neuropsychologia"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"946","DOI":"10.1093\/cercor\/11.10.946","article-title":"Spectral and temporal processing in human auditory cortex","volume":"11","author":"Zatorre","year":"2001","journal-title":"Cereb. Cortex"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1016\/S1364-6613(00)01816-7","article-title":"Structure and function of auditory cortex: Music and speech","volume":"6","author":"Zatorre","year":"2002","journal-title":"Trends Cogn. Sci. (Regul. Ed.)"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"R706","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2015.06.067","article-title":"Whistled Turkish alters language asymmetries","volume":"25","author":"Hahn","year":"2015","journal-title":"Curr. Biol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Meyer, J. (2015). Whistled languages. A Worldwide Inquiry on Human Whistled Speech, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-662-45837-2"},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"D\u00edaz Reyes, D. (2008). El Lenguaje Silbado en la isla de El Hierro, Cabildo."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Busnel, R.-G., and Classe, A. (1976). Whistled Languages, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-46335-8"},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Trujillo, R. (1978). El Silbo Gomero. An\u00e1lisis Ling\u00fc\u00edstico, Interinsular Canaria. [1st ed.]."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1016\/j.brainresrev.2003.08.004","article-title":"Lateralization of auditory-cortex functions","volume":"43","author":"Tervaniemi","year":"2003","journal-title":"Brain Res. Brain Res. Rev."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1111\/sjop.12408","article-title":"How to get a left-ear advantage: A technical review of assessing brain asymmetry with dichotic listening","volume":"59","author":"Westerhausen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Scand. J. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1038\/433031a","article-title":"Linguistic perception: Neural processing of a whistled language","volume":"433","author":"Carreiras","year":"2005","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"271","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2011.00271","article-title":"Individual differences in audio-vocal speech imitation aptitude in late bilinguals: Functional neuro-imaging and brain morphology","volume":"2","author":"Reiterer","year":"2011","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1016\/0028-3932(71)90067-4","article-title":"The assessment and analysis of handedness: The Edinburgh inventory","volume":"9","author":"Oldfield","year":"1971","journal-title":"Neuropsychologia"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1038\/nrn3679","article-title":"On the other hand: Including left-handers in cognitive neuroscience and neurogenetics","volume":"15","author":"Willems","year":"2014","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1016\/0028-3932(86)90043-6","article-title":"Dichotic and dichhaptic techniques","volume":"24","author":"Bradshaw","year":"1986","journal-title":"Neuropsychologia"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"263","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bandc.2011.03.016","article-title":"Attention and the right-ear advantage: What is the connection?","volume":"76","author":"Hiscock","year":"2011","journal-title":"Brain Cogn."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-9450.2008.00676.x","article-title":"Attention and cognitive control: Unfolding the dichotic listening story","volume":"50","author":"Hugdahl","year":"2009","journal-title":"Scand. J. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"355","DOI":"10.1080\/17470216408416391","article-title":"Left-right differences in the perception of melodies","volume":"16","author":"Kimura","year":"1964","journal-title":"Q. J. Exp. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"214","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bandc.2010.11.009","article-title":"From ear to brain","volume":"76","author":"Kimura","year":"2011","journal-title":"Brain Cogn."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"740","DOI":"10.1080\/1357650X.2019.1598426","article-title":"A primer on dichotic listening as a paradigm for the assessment of hemispheric asymmetry","volume":"24","author":"Westerhausen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Laterality"},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1044","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2008.04.005","article-title":"The corpus callosum in dichotic listening studies of hemispheric asymmetry: A review of clinical and experimental evidence","volume":"32","author":"Westerhausen","year":"2008","journal-title":"Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"380","DOI":"10.1016\/0166-2236(89)90076-3","article-title":"Language, modality and the brain","volume":"12","author":"Bellugi","year":"1989","journal-title":"Trends Neurosci."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"146","DOI":"10.1016\/S0387-7604(03)00128-1","article-title":"The neurology of sign language","volume":"26","author":"Gordon","year":"2004","journal-title":"Brain Dev."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1121\/1.1981613","article-title":"Is the Left Hemisphere Specialized for Speech, Language, or Something Else","volume":"51","author":"Krashen","year":"1972","journal-title":"J. Acoust. Soc. Am."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1987","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuropsychologia.2007.03.002","article-title":"Bilingual language lateralization: A meta-analytic tale of two hemispheres","volume":"45","author":"Hull","year":"2007","journal-title":"Neuropsychologia"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1187","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neuropsychologia.2013.03.016","article-title":"Hemispheric asymmetries in bilinguals: Tongue similarity affects lateralization of second language","volume":"51","author":"Reiterer","year":"2013","journal-title":"Neuropsychologia"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2017.00025","article-title":"Categorization of Natural Whistled Vowels by Na\u00efve Listeners of Different Language Background","volume":"8","author":"Meyer","year":"2017","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"593","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2019.00593","article-title":"Guessing Meaning From Word Sounds of Unfamiliar Languages: A Cross-Cultural Sound Symbolism Study","volume":"10","author":"Prete","year":"2019","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Brandler, W.M., Morris, A.P., Evans, D.M., Scerri, T.S., Kemp, J.P., Timpson, N.J., St Pourcain, B., Smith, G.D., Ring, S.M., and Stein, J. (2013). Common variants in left\/right asymmetry genes and pathways are associated with relative hand skill. PLoS Genet., 9.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pgen.1003751"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"481","DOI":"10.1037\/bul0000229","article-title":"Human handedness: A meta-analysis","volume":"146","author":"Ntolka","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychol. Bull."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bandc.2018.03.003","article-title":"Modulation of the dichotic right ear advantage during bilateral but not unilateral transcranial random noise stimulation","volume":"123","author":"Prete","year":"2018","journal-title":"Brain Cogn."}],"container-title":["Symmetry"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2073-8994\/12\/7\/1183\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T09:49:14Z","timestamp":1760176154000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2073-8994\/12\/7\/1183"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,17]]},"references-count":43,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,7]]}},"alternative-id":["sym12071183"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/sym12071183","relation":{},"ISSN":["2073-8994"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2073-8994"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2020,7,17]]}}}