Abstract
Temperature at the tympanic membrane (eardrum) provides an indirect measure of cerebral blood flow. Decreases in temperature, reflecting increases in blood flow, appear during performance of mental tasks. Decreases are greater in the left ear during verbal tasks and in the right ear during spatial tasks. Tympanic temperature may provide a simple and flexible measure of mental functioning under a variety of conditions.
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This research was supported in part by NIMH Grant 5 ROl MH20660 and NSF Grant BNS76-l7403.
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Meiners, M.L., Dabbs, J.M. Ear temperature and brain blood flow: Laterality effects. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 10, 194–196 (1977). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329321
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329321