scholarly journals Developmental Risk: Evidence from Large Nonright-Handed Samples

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippos Vlachos ◽  
Francois Gaillard ◽  
Kiriazis Vaitsis ◽  
Argiris Karapetsas

The aim of the present study is twofold. First, we tested the view that individuals who do not develop a typically strong behavioral laterality are distributed differentially among the two genders across age. Second, we examined whether left handedness and mixed handedness are associated with an elevated risk of some developmental or cognitive deficits. A special recruitment procedure provided norms of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) copy from large samples of left-handed () and mixed-handed () compared to right-handed () schoolchildren and adults (). This graphic task was considered as reflective of the growth of visual-spatial skills and impairment at copying as a developmental risk. Subjects’ hand preference was assessed by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Data analysis indicated that (1) the trend towards consistent right handedness is sex related. Girls are clearly ahead of boys in this lateralization process, and boys are overrepresented in mixed-handed subjects. The greater prevalence of mixed-handed boys compared to girls decreases with age. (2) Performance on drawing the ROCF varies according to age and handedness groups. Mixed-handed subjects scored worse in all age groups. The results are discussed in relation to the hormonal-developmental, neuropathological, and learning theories of lateralization.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mo Zheng ◽  
Catherine McBride ◽  
Connie Suk-Han Ho ◽  
Jonathan Ka-Chun Chan ◽  
Kwong Wai Choy ◽  
...  

Left-Handedness prevalence has been consistently reported at around 10% with heritability estimates at around 25%. Higher left-handedness prevalence has been reported in males and in twins. Lower prevalence has been reported in Asia, but it remains unclear whether this is due to biological or cultural factors. Most studies are based on samples with European ethnicities and using the preferred hand for writing as the key assessment. Here, we investigated handedness in a sample of Chinese school children in Hong Kong, including 426 singletons and 205 pairs of twins, using both the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory and Pegboard Task. Based on a binary definition of writing hand, we found a higher prevalence of left-handedness (8%) than what was previously reported in Asian datasets. We found no evidence of increased left-handedness in twins, but our results were in line with previous findings showing that males have a higher tendency to be left-handed than females. Heritability was similar for both hand preference (21%) and laterality indexes (22%). However, these two handedness measures present only a moderate correlation (.42) and appear to be underpinned by different genetic factors. In summary, we report new reference data for an ethnic group usually underrepresented in the literature. Our heritability analysis supports the idea that different measures will capture different components of handedness and, as a consequence, datasets assessed with heterogeneous criteria are not easily combined or compared.


1992 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 699-705 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Karapetsas ◽  
F. Vlachos

In this study we used the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure to examine the visuomotor organization of 514 boys and girls, aged 5.5 to 20.5 yr. All were left-handed as judged by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Statistical evaluation showed significant differences in the visuomotor organization for boys and girls across the various age groups. Statistically significant differences also appeared between the two sexes at the age groups 7.5 to 8.5 and 8.5 to 9.5, with girls showing better organization than boys.


2008 ◽  
Vol 364 (1519) ◽  
pp. 881-894 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Llaurens ◽  
M Raymond ◽  
C Faurie

Since prehistoric times, left-handed individuals have been ubiquitous in human populations, exhibiting geographical frequency variations. Evolutionary explanations have been proposed for the persistence of the handedness polymorphism. Left-handedness could be favoured by negative frequency-dependent selection. Data have suggested that left-handedness, as the rare hand preference, could represent an important strategic advantage in fighting interactions. However, the fact that left-handedness occurs at a low frequency indicates that some evolutionary costs could be associated with left-handedness. Overall, the evolutionary dynamics of this polymorphism are not fully understood. Here, we review the abundant literature available regarding the possible mechanisms and consequences of left-handedness. We point out that hand preference is heritable, and report how hand preference is influenced by genetic, hormonal, developmental and cultural factors. We review the available information on potential fitness costs and benefits acting as selective forces on the proportion of left-handers. Thus, evolutionary perspectives on the persistence of this polymorphism in humans are gathered for the first time, highlighting the necessity for an assessment of fitness differences between right- and left-handers.


1997 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anargyros B. Karapetsas ◽  
Filippos M. Vlachos

Development of visuomotor skills in 420 left-handed and 420 right-handed school children were investigated using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure. Analysis indicate that the visuomotor skills involved in copying a complex figure improve with age until the mean age of 10.5 yr., in both sex and handedness groups. Further analysis showed that girls performed significantly better than boys at certain developmental stages and right-handers performed better than left-handers in various age groups. Some possible differences in performance could be attributed to different rates of maturation of the cerebral hemispheres, to different neuropsychological strategies, or to functional differences between the sex groups and between right- and left-handed children.


1995 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 979-994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syoichi Iwasaki ◽  
Takehito Kaiho ◽  
Ken Iseki

Hand-preference data of 2316 Japanese were analyzed by age groups, sex, and familial sinistrality. Right-hand preference increased across age groups at least up to 30 years for men, while women showed relatively stable and stronger preference for right-hand use. Unlike some Western studies, no linear trends across age groups were found for both sexes. Declining cultural censorship against left-handedness would not be responsible for the trends, since there was no evidence indicating such a decline in Japan. Hypotheses of reduced longevity and life-long adaptation to the right-handed world are not satisfactory either, since both hypotheses assume a linear trend spanning the entire life span. Thus, it seems that a single-factor hypothesis which explains all the results by resorting to a single cause does not account for the complex results found in this and other studies.


1998 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 667-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Şenol Dane ◽  
Mehmet Bayirli

In this study, to test an inference from the 1991 Previc hypothesis that right-handers have a right-ear advantage, the durations of hearing for the right and left ears were compared for 81 right- and 45 left-handed high school students. In the present study, right-handedness was associated with a right-ear advantage and left-handedness was associated with a left-ear advantage. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the durations of hearing for the right and left ears and the scores for right-handedness for right-handed subjects. The durations of hearing for the right and left ears were negatively correlated with the left-handedness for left-handed subjects. These results suggest hand preference may be related to asymmetry of aural sensitivity.


Author(s):  
Christopher P. Moutos ◽  
Daphne D. Arena Goncharov ◽  
Antonio F. Saad ◽  
Gwyn Richardson ◽  
Sangeeta Jain

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the views and influence of left-handedness among obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) trainees and educators and to identify perceived obstacles in training by left-handed (LH) trainees. Study Design An online survey was sent to the U.S. Obstetrics and Gynecology training programs. All participants were asked questions on hand preference for various medical and nonmedical activities, as well as on demographics. Participant responses to handedness and their role as a learner or educator directed them toward further questions. Trainees were surveyed on their experience and outlook as a LH physician in OBGYN. Educators were surveyed on their experience and attitudes in working with LH trainees. LH educators were also surveyed on their experience as a LH physician, similar to the LH trainees. Chi-square or Fisher's exact analysis was used as appropriate, with p-value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Results Responses were received from 21 training programs, totaling 304 individuals. Participants included 205 learners (156 right handed and 49 left handed), and 99 faculty (82 right handed and 17 left handed). A lack of LH surgical instrument availability (93.6%) and difficulty using right-handed (RH) instruments (83%) were notable obstacles reported by LH learners. The majority of LH learners (57.4%) did not consider their handedness to be disadvantageous but did note added difficulty when training under RH mentors when compared with training under LH mentors (66%). In contrast to LH educators, RH educators endorsed added difficulty in instructing operative procedures to LH learners (32.1 vs. 13.3%, p = 0.012). Conclusion LH trainees face unique challenges during their OBGYN training. Educators would benefit from guidance on how best to manage these trainees. Educators should work to adapt surgical and procedural techniques to accommodate LH trainees. Key Points


Author(s):  
Matthew E. Fasano-McCarron ◽  
Jane Holmes Bernstein ◽  
Deborah P. Waber ◽  
Jane W. Newburger ◽  
David R. DeMaso ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: This study examined longitudinal associations between performance on the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure–Developmental Scoring System (ROCF-DSS) at 8 years of age and academic outcomes at 16 years of age in 133 children with dextro-transposition of the great arteries (d-TGA). Method: The ROCF-DSS was administered at the age of 8 and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, First and Second Edition (WIAT/WIAT-II) at the ages of 8 and 16, respectively. ROCF-DSS protocols were classified by Organization (Organized/Disorganized) and Style (Part-oriented/Holistic). Two-way univariate (ROCF-DSS Organization × Style) ANCOVAs were computed with 16-year academic outcomes as the dependent variables and socioeconomic status (SES) as the covariate. Results: The Organization × Style interaction was not statistically significant. However, ROCF-DSS Organization at 8 years was significantly associated with Reading, Math, Associative, and Assembled academic skills at 16 years, with better organization predicting better academic performance. Conclusions: Performance on the ROCF-DSS, a complex visual-spatial problem-solving task, in children with d-TGA can forecast academic performance in both reading and mathematics nearly a decade later. These findings may have implications for identifying risk in children with other medical and neurodevelopmental disorders affecting brain development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 871-871
Author(s):  
Ryan J ◽  
Kreiner D ◽  
Gontkovsky S ◽  
Paolo A

Abstract Objective Research has identified common genetic influences on handedness and neurological/mental health phenotypes. It also has been shown there may be increased risk for development of neurological disorders/diseases among individuals naturally left-handed or demonstrating non-right-hand preference. This investigation examined prevalence of right-handed versus non-right-handed individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) compared to controls. Method Participants were 264 patients with PD (mean age = 69.83 years) and 256 control volunteers (mean age = 71.42 years). Mean Dementia Rating Scale composites for the groups were 123.68 and 136.00, respectively. Participants self-identified their dominant hand for writing and usage was confirmed during the session. Results Proportions of non-right- and right-handed controls (7.0% and 93.0%) versus individuals with PD (6.8% and 93.2%) did not differ. Changes in proportions of non-right- and right-handedness across age ranges were not significant for controls or patients. There was a trend for a larger proportion of women (55.9%) versus men among controls (44.1%), □ 2 (1) = 3.29, p &lt; .10; whereas, the proportion of men (64.4%) with PD was larger than that of women. (35.6%), □ 2 (1) = 21.31, p &lt; .001. For controls and patients, non-right and right handedness gender proportions were similar. Conclusions This study is the first to assess handedness prevalence rates in PD. Results suggest prevalence of non-right handedness is similar in PD and healthy individuals and does not appear to differ markedly by gender or with advancing age. The occurrence of a trend for a larger proportion of women than men among controls is consistent with census-based statistics.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S214-S214 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Kobylinska ◽  
C.G. Anghel ◽  
I. Mihailescu ◽  
F. Rad ◽  
I. Dobrescu

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have a less definitive hand preference for certain actions as opposed to neurotypical children. Moreover, left-handedness in children with ASD has been associated with more echolalia. The objective was to conduct a screening of potential risk and associated features for autism spectrum disorders, among which the hand preference of the child. The current aim is to compare the perceived handedness of children with autism spectrum disorders with that of children with other psychiatric pathologies.MethodsEight hundred and forty-two parents completed our risk and associated features screening questionnaire. Out of these, 494 answered the question regarding handedness (209 had children diagnosed with ASD). This asked the parents to state how they perceived their child's handedness. An ADOS assessment has been conducted for 170 of the children whose parents were included in the study, based on clinical relevance for the case. The data were analysed using Excel and SPSS 22.0. For the comparisons, Chi2 and the Kruskal–Wallis test were used.ResultsChildren with ASD had more left-handedness (χ2(2) = 12.54, P = 0.002). There were no differences between boys and girls in terms of perceived handedness in any of the groups. There were no differences in the ADOS scores according to the perceived hand laterality (χ2(2) = 0.58, P = 0.74).ConclusionRightward-asymmetry in regions of corpus callosum has been reported to correlate with symptoms severity in ASD. The finding of different perceived handedness in children with ASD versus children with other psychiatric pathologies is useful for designing appropriate, individualized training programs for motor therapy.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


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