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MINI REVIEW article

Front. Behav. Neurosci.
Sec. Individual and Social Behaviors
Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2025.1527572
This article is part of the Research Topic Ethological neuroscience View all 8 articles

Swimming Through Asymmetry: Zebrafish as a Model for Brain and Behavior Lateralization

Provisionally accepted
Alessandra Gobbo Alessandra Gobbo Andrea Messina Andrea Messina *Giorgio Vallortigara Giorgio Vallortigara *
  • Centre for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The left and right sides of the brain show anatomical, neurochemical and functional differences. In the past century, brain and behavior lateralization was considered a human peculiarity associated with language and handedness. However, nowadays lateralization is known to occur among all vertebrates, from primates to fish. Fish, especially zebrafish (Danio rerio), have emerged as a crucial model for exploring the evolution and mechanisms of brain asymmetry. This review summarises recent advances in zebrafish research on brain lateralization, highlighting how genetic tools, imaging, and transgenic methods have been used to investigate left-right asymmetries and their impact on sensory, cognitive, and social behaviours including possible links to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

    Keywords: Behavioural lateralization, Brain asymmetry, Genetics, danio rerio, Neurodevelomental Disorders

    Received: 13 Nov 2024; Accepted: 06 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Gobbo, Messina and Vallortigara. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Andrea Messina, Centre for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, 38068, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
    Giorgio Vallortigara, Centre for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, 38068, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

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