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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Mixed lateral preference and parental left-handedness: possible markers of risk for PTSD.

Degree of lateral preference (mixed versus consistent), family history of parental left-handedness, and presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were measured in 118 right-handed male U.S. combat veterans. Right-handed participants with mixed lateral preference were more likely to have PTSD than were right-handers with consistent lateral preference. Respondents reporting a left-handed parent were also more likely to have PTSD. Finally, there was a significant difference in the proportion of participants with PTSD for three groups: participants with parental left-handedness and mixed lateral preference (100% PTSD), participants with parental left-handedness or mixed lateral preference (70% PTSD), and participants with neither parental left-handedness nor mixed lateral preference (44% PTSD). These findings suggest the possible usefulness of further examining the relationship between mixed lateral preference, parental left-handedness, and other possible indicators of risk for PTSD.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed2002

Molecular genetic analysis of left-right handedness in plants.

Handedness in plant growth may be most familiar to us when we think of tendrils or twining plants, which generally form consistent right- or left-handed helices as they climb. The petals of several species are sometimes arranged like fan blades that twist in the same direction. Another less conspicuous example is 'circumnutation', the oscillating growth of axial organs, which alternates between a clockwise and an anti-clockwise direction. To unravel molecular components and cellular determinants of handedness, we screened Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings for helical growth mutants with fixed handedness. Recessive spiral1 and spiral2 mutants show right-handed helical growth in roots, hypocotyls, petioles and petals; semi-dominant lefty1 and lefty2 mutants show opposite left-handed growth in these organs. lefty mutations are epistatic to spiral mutations. Arabidopsis helical growth mutants with fixed handedness may be impaired in certain aspects of cortical microtubule functions, and characterization of the mutated genes should lead us to a better understanding of how microtubules function in left-right handedness in plants.

Genes, Plant↗
PubMed2004

Prevalence and handedness correlates of recurrent aphthous stomatitis in the Turkish population.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to determine the relationship between recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) and handedness, and to assess the prevalence of RAS in the Turkish population. METHODS: The present study was conducted among 11,360 persons (5,705 males and 5,655 females) with a mean age of 30.4 years. A questionnaire focusing on handedness was administered to these patients. Handedness was assessed according to the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. The diagnosis of RAS was made on the basis of clinical appearance, location, and the patient's health history. RAS information of patients was collected by means of a data form specifically designed for this study. Subjects were informed about RAS. We took anamneses and filled out the investigation forms. Apart from patients with registration of current aphthae (average point prevalence, APP), patients who had a past two-year history (self-reported two-year prevalence, SRTP) of the lesion were also included in this study. Data were analyzed using the chi-square and logistic regression tests. RESULTS: The prevalence of RAS (APP) was 2.7 percent and that of a history of RAS (SRTP) 22.8 percent. Thus, the total prevalence (APP+SRTP), including present lesions and a two-year history (SRTP), was 25.5 percent. Adjusted results showed that females, left-handers, 10-30-year-olds, and nonsmokers were 1.53, 1.69, 2.05, and 1.61 times more likely to have RAS (APP+SRTP) than males, right-handers, 31-50-year-olds, and smokers, respectively (P<.0001). CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that left-handedness appears to be a predictor factor for RAS.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Familial sinistrality and degree of left-handedness.

Hécaen & Sauguet (1970) reported that, according to a handedness inventory measure, familial sinistrality among left-handers (brain-damaged patients) was associated with weak left-handedness. We assessed the relationship of familial sinistrality and degree of left-handedness among 71 normal left-and 80 right-handed subjects. No general relationship of degree of left-handedness, defined by four handedness tasks, to familial sinistrality obtained. Only one of the tasks (finger tapping speed) significantly differed between familial and non-familial left-handers, the familial left-handers being more strongly left-handed on the task.

Culture↗
PubMed1993

Upper limb injuries and handedness plasticity.

In a questionnaire survey of 9591 men between 17 and 27 years of age, there was an association between present handedness score and report of an earlier injury causing a temporary shift of hand use. The proportion of weak right-handers was higher among those who reported injuries. Overall, there was no association between left-handedness and injuries. Nevertheless, injuries occurring before the school attendance age, which concerned only a very small fraction of the respondents, were associated with an increased frequency of left-handedness. The data emphasize the plasticity of human handedness, and do not suggest that innate left- or non-right-handedness is a risk factor for accident occurrence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Handedness dependency in recall from everyday memory.

A number of previous studies have demonstrated systematic misremembering of the direction in which the Queen's head faces on British coins. Two experiments were carried out to investigate whether this phenomenon is affected by a person's handedness. In both experiments, right-handed and left-handed participants were found to differ significantly in their verbal responses, with recall performance significantly worse than chance for right-handed but not for left-handed participants. Experiment 2 also examined degrees of handedness, and found significant variation in recall across the handedness range. Performance in this everyday-memory paradigm appears to be determined by both handedness and schema factors. It is proposed that although in this task the response was verbal one, relevant motor imagery may nevertheless have been activated and led to the highly unusual observation of an effect of handedness upon cognitive performance.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Handedness and schizophrenic symptoms.

Studies of the handedness of schizophrenics have produced conflicting results. One possible explanation for this is that, as schizophrenia presents in many different forms, certain symptoms of the illness may relate better than the diagnosis to laterality patterns. Some previous work supports this view. The symptoms of 232 schizophrenics were examined in relation to their handedness. Among males only the handedness patterns of those who showed expressive (formal) thought disorder differed from those of their non-thought-disordered peers, but proved to be very similar to those of normal controls. The distribution of handedness did not otherwise vary significantly with type of symptom. Thus it appears to be the schizophrenic syndrome, and not any individual symptom, that best correlates with the deviation from normal handedness patterns seen among schizophrenics.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Biological and sociocultural effects on handedness: comparison between biological and adoptive families.

Data from adoption studies on handedness indicate that the effects of shared biological heritage are more powerful determinants of hand preference than sociocultural factors. Biological offspring were found to show nonrandom distributions of right- and non-right-handedness as a function of parental handedness; these distributions were consistent with the results fo previous family studies. In contrast, the handedness distribution of adopted children as a function of parental handedness was essentially random.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

A new family handedness sample with findings consistent with X-linked transmission.

A family handedness study of 2632 families and 8605 offspring was conducted. Of the 2632 parental couples, there were 2123 in which both parents were right-handed (RR), 232 in which the mother was left-handed and the father right-handed (LR), 254 in which the mother was right-handed and the father was left-handed (RL), and 23 in which both parents were left-handed (LL). Results showed some important differences from the composite results of four earlier large scale studies that had also employed the same criterion of handedness (writing hand). These had collectively found that the incidence of left-handed offspring, of both sexes, was significantly lower for RR couples than for LR or RL couples, but not lower than for LL couples. Present results, however, suggest an X-linked pattern of genetic influence on handedness. The LR parents produced significantly more left-handed offspring than did RR couples, and this was particularly the case for sons; but while RL couples produced a higher incidence of left-handed daughters than did RR parents, they failed to produce a higher incidence of left-handed sons than did RR couples. Additionally, the present sample showed a significantly greater incidence of left-handed offspring of LL couples than of RR couples, a finding that, while predicted by genetic-influence theories of handedness, was not found in the composite of previous comparison samples. The finding of sex-linkage is potentially important, but will require replicative studies that take special care to preclude possible biasing factors such as selective volunteering of participants and inaccurate offspring ascriptions of parental (particularly paternal) handedness.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Handedness, eyedness, and crossed hand-eye dominance in male and female patients with migraine with and without aura: a pilot study.

The possible relationships of migraine to left-handedness and left-eyedness, as well as sex and aura-related differences, were examined. 146 migraine patients (M age=32.1 yr., SD=9.5) and 141 controls (M age=30.0 yr., SD=9.3) participated. Hand preference was assessed by the modified version of the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Ocular dominance was measured by means of the near-far alignment test. Migraine diagnoses were made on the basis of criteria provided from the International Headache Society. In the overall sample and in women, left-handedness and left-eyedness were not significantly correlated with migraine. In men, the incidence of left-handedness and left-eyedness were significantly higher in patients than in controls. The presence of aura in patients with migraine was significantly associated with the incidence of left-eyedness and crossed hand-eye dominance, but not handedness, for the total sample and women. These results suggest that there may be a tendency towards anomalous dominance, especially left-eyedness, in migraine patients particularly those with aura.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Sex differences and handedness in hemispheric lateralization of tactile-spatial functions.

Sex differences in spatial processing and handedness were studied with a tactile-spatial task in 27 male and 29 female right-handed undergraduate students in psychology. Subjects were asked to identify amorphous shapes to investigate possible male right-hemisphere specialization for spatial functions and bilateral representation among the women. The Annett handedness questionnaire estimated extent of right-handedness. Subjects were classified by major, and women by phase of menstrual cycle. Analysis shows significantly more right-handedness in women and ambidexterity in men. Over-all, men do not perform significantly better than women, although men outperform women with their left hands when handedness is covaried. Within sex, no difference is seen between left and right hand scores for men, but women perform significantly better with right than left hands. Further analyses suggest men appear right-hemisphere dominant for this task whereas women show left-hemisphere dominance. Analyses of hormonal data support recent research, in that for women on the pill there is a trend to perform worse than all other groups. Engineering students perform significantly better than all other majors.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The use of next-of-kin in assessing handedness.

The present study administered a 15-item handedness questionnaire to 129 college students and their next-of-kin. This questionnaire was similar to the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, except that a 7-point scale was used instead of a 2-choice scale. Test-retest reliability was evaluated with a second administration of the handedness questionnaire to each subject. Analysis showed a high test-retest reliability for all items and a high correlation between subjects and next-of-kin responding for most items. However, some items on the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory showed much higher correlations than others when comparing subject and next-of-kin responding. The contribution of these data is that subjects' handedness can be accurately estimated from next-of-kin responses if a subset of these questionnaire items are used.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Handedness distributions in nine professional groups.

The relationships between profession and handedness were studied in approximately equal numbers of accountants, architects, dentists, lawyers, librarians, mathematicians, orthodontists, orthopedic surgeons, and psychiatrists (ns = 133 +/- 36; N = 1196). Handedness was estimated using laterality scores derived from the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and self-reported global handedness preference scores. Architects and lawyers had the most lefthanded average laterality scores. Orthopedic surgeons, mathematicians, and librarians had the most righthanded average laterality scores. Psychiatrists and lawyers had the most ambilateral laterality scores, mathematicians and librarians the least. These findings are discussed in relation to theories of handedness and cerebral localization of visuospatial and language function.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Handedness and professional tennis.

Based on the hypothesis that as a group left-handed (LH) people have better developed right hemispheres and therefore have better developed motor, attentional, and spatial functions than right-handed people (Geschwind, 1982; Geschwind and Galaburda, 1985a, 1985b; Nass and Gazzaniga, 1987), several studies have examined a possible association between left-handedness and superior tennis ability (cited in Annett, 1985; Azemar et al., 1983; Wood and Aggleton, 1989). The conflicting findings of these studies are due to flawed research designs, very limited data, and inadequate data analyses. In this study an estimated population rate of left-handedness for racket use (8.1%) was compared with rates found among professional tennis players; and highly successful competitors over a 32-year period were analyzed for handedness frequency. Results revealed that from 1968 through 1999 LH competitors were significantly over-represented among top ranking players (World Number One and Top Ten) and among Grand Slam finalists, including champions. Rates of left-handedness ranged from two to five times higher than expected in these highly successful players. However, no difference was found in the rate of left-handedness for racket use among male (N = 1,904; LH = 6.98%) or female (N = 533; LH = 7.69%) professional tennis players compared to the general population. These findings indirectly support the notion that LH people have neuroanatomically-based advantages in performing certain neurocognitive tasks, such as visuospatial and gross (whole body) visuomotor tasks. The present findings are also consistent with a nature/nurture model of cortical development and functioning (Casey, 1996).

Brain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Handedness and maternal smoking during pregnancy.

Nonright-handedness (NRH) has been attributed to hypoxia-induced brain changes in the fetus and associated pregnancy and birth complications (PBCs). Maternal smoking during pregnancy is known to produce prenatal hypoxia for the fetus, which may result in low birth weight and other PBCs. It was hypothesized that maternal smoking during pregnancy results in a leftward shift of handedness in the offspring. This study compared the distribution of handedness in the offspring of mothers who did and did not smoke cigarettes during pregnancy. Information on maternal smoking, handedness, and PBCs was analyzed for 803 university students. There was a significant shift to the left in the distribution of handedness scores for the offspring of smoking mothers (N = 216), as compared to those of nonsmoking mothers (N = 587). Offspring of smoking mothers also reported significantly more PBCs. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that NRH is associated with pathological neurodevelopment.

Female↗
PubMed1994

Handedness and allergic response.

Previous reports have linked nonright-handedness with allergies including hay fever, asthma, eczema and urticaria. The present study examined reactions to 20 common allergens (e.g., food, animal fur, dust, drugs, etc.) in a sample of 430 subjects. Individuals who were left-handed or not consistently right-handed showed an elevated frequency of allergic reactions. The criteria used to determine handedness and the existence of allergies are both important factors. The stringent criterion of consistent right-handedness versus nonright-handedness was a more sensitive measure in detecting allergic individuals than was the simple dichotomy of left- versus right-handed. The association with handedness was stronger for individuals with more than one allergy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Long-term consequences of switching handedness: a positron emission tomography study on handwriting in "converted" left-handers.

Until some decades ago, left-handed children who attended German schools were forced to learn to write with their right hand. To explore the long-term consequences of switching handedness, we studied the functional neuroanatomy of handwriting in 11 adult "converted" left-handers and 11 age-matched right-handers. All participants had used exclusively their right hand for writing since early childhood. Using [15O]H2O positron emission tomography, changes in normalized regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were assessed while participants repetitively wrote a stereotyped word with their right hand. The kinematics of handwriting did not differ between converted left-handers and right-handers. In innate right-handers, handwriting caused a preponderant left-hemispheric activation of parietal and premotor association areas. In contrast, converted left-handers demonstrated a more bilateral activation pattern with distinct activation foci in the right lateral premotor, parietal, and temporal cortex. Moreover, foci in the right rostral supplementary motor area and the right inferior parietal lobule demonstrated a positive linear relationship between the degree of "left-handedness" and normalized rCBF during right-hand writing. Functional activity in the primary sensorimotor cortex was not affected by handedness. Our findings provide evidence for persisting differences in the functional neuroanatomy of handwriting between right-handers and converted left-handers, despite decades of right-hand writing. Right-hemispheric activation in converted left-handers may reflect suppression of unwanted left-hand movements. Alternatively, this activity may represent persistent left-handedness and, as such, demonstrate a hemispheric asymmetry of hand movement representations in cortical motor association areas in relation to the direction and degree of handedness.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2003

Handedness and risk of brain tumors in adults.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relation between handedness, and the risk of malignant and benign brain tumors. Handedness has been hypothesized to serve as a behavioral marker of prenatal hormonal exposures or other factors that influence subsequent cancer risk. A case-control study was conducted at hospitals in three United States cities between 1994 and 1998. The cases were adult patients newly diagnosed with glioma (n = 489), meningioma (n = 197), or acoustic neuroma (n = 96), and the 799 frequency-matched controls were patients admitted to the same hospitals for a variety of nonmalignant conditions. Handedness was determined by interview. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and calculate 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Persons who described themselves as left-handed or ambidextrous appeared to be at reduced risk of glioma relative to those who described themselves as right-handed (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5-0.9). The association was similar for men and women, and for left-sided and right-sided tumors. Neither meningioma (OR, 0.9; CI, 0.6-1.5) nor acoustic neuroma (OR, 0.9; CI, 0.5-1.7) showed significant associations with handedness. These findings require confirmation but raise the possibility that early neurodevelopmental events or genetic factors related to handedness also influence the risk of glioma among adults.

Adult↗