Left-handed people could be at higher risk for some neurological disorders: study

Left-handedness and certain neurological disorders could spell hand-in-hand, a caller survey revealed, though the researchers and others acknowledged imaginable limitations. 

While astir 10% of radical successful the satellite are left-handed, people with autism are 3.5 times much apt to person the trait, according to an planetary squad of researchers that analyzed information from implicit 200,000 individuals.

The study, published successful the diary Psychological Bulletin, indicated that left- and mixed-handedness besides look much often successful radical who person diagnoses specified arsenic schizophrenia, autism and intelligence disability.

RISING AUTISM RATES NOW AFFECT 3% OF CHILDREN, SAYS CDC REPORT

Mixed-handedness refers to a concern successful which radical whitethorn usage their near manus for a definite task and their close manus for others, according to science experts. 

This is somewhat antithetic from ambidexterity, which is the adjacent usage of some hands. 

The survey showed that left- and mixed-handedness look much often successful radical who person definite diagnoses similar schizophrenia, autism and intelligence disability. (iStock)

"The cardinal takeaways of this survey are that alterations successful manus penchant from the norm (i.e., right-handedness) are associated particularly with psychiatric and intelligence conditions that impact the connection strategy (e.g., dyslexia oregon schizophrenia) oregon impact neurodevelopment done an aboriginal property of onset (e.g., autism or ADHD)," pb writer Dr. Julian Packheiser told Fox News Digital.

He is simply a researcher astatine the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience astatine Ruhr University Bochum successful Germany.

"Correlation doesn’t connote causation — and being left-handed does not mean idiosyncratic volition make autism oregon schizophrenia."

Not each neurological conditions showed a nexus to people's ascendant hand.

Depression and dyscalculia (a mathematics learning disability), for example, showed nary meaningful quality successful manus penchant compared to power groups, the survey found.

Language factor

The researchers besides determined that "atypical handedness" whitethorn beryllium associated with semipermanent linguistic symptoms similar stuttering and dyslexia.

"In astir people, the dominant side of their brain is typically wherever speech, language, logical thought processing and manus penchant is located," Dr. Earnest Lee Murray, a neurologist with West Tennessee Medical Group, told Fox News Digital. 

He was not progressive with the caller study. 

CHILDREN WITH AUTISM MAY SEE SPEECH IMPROVEMENTS WITH OFF-LABEL PRESCRIPTION DRUG

"People who are left-handed oregon ambidextrous often don’t person specified a ascendant one-sided encephalon — rather, the cardinal portions of connection tin beryllium divided betwixt some sides," Murray besides said. 

The survey besides examined the likelihood of atypical handedness successful objective populations, oregon groups of radical diagnosed with a circumstantial acceptable of health conditions compared to a power population. 

It appears that the earlier a disorder's symptoms emerged, the much often researchers saw cases of left- and mixed-handedness. (iStock)

"We suspected that left- and mixed-handedness could beryllium associated with disorders whose symptoms are related to language," said Packheiser successful a property merchandise astir the study.

"Language, similar handedness, has a precise one-sided determination successful the brain, truthful it stands to crushed that the improvement of some and their disorders could beryllium linked."

Timing is key

The researchers besides considered different factors that could travel into play, specified arsenic the property astatine which a idiosyncratic mightiness grounds symptoms.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

It appears that the earlier a disorder’s symptoms emerged, the much often researchers saw cases of left- and mixed-handedness.

The researchers hypothesized that left- and mixed-handedness could beryllium associated with diseases that hap precise aboriginal successful life, due to the fact that the ascendant manus is determined astatine a precise aboriginal property – perchance even before birth.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

In the womb, thumb-sucking astatine 10 weeks' gestation is heavy linked to which manus volition beryllium preferred aboriginal successful life, they noted.

The transportation could assistance experts perchance recognize the mode brains are organized and however they develop.

The caller survey comes with imaginable limitations. Not each neurological conditions amusement a nexus to the person’s ascendant hand, according to experts. (iStock)

"The survey has implications erstwhile knowing ways of finetuning the neurorehabilitation of patients with one-sided encephalon conditions, specified arsenic stroke, multiple sclerosis oregon traumatic encephalon injury," Murray said.

Potential limitations

Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist and author, said the survey was "interesting," though helium emphasized its limitations.

"Correlation doesn’t connote causation — and being left-handed does not mean idiosyncratic volition make autism oregon schizophrenia," Alpert, who was not progressive successful the study, told Fox News Digital. 

"Handedness is conscionable 1 of galore factors that tin beryllium associated with neurological traits, and these findings should beryllium interpreted with caution to debar unnecessary alarm oregon stigma."

Depression showed nary meaningful quality successful manus penchant compared to power groups, the survey found. (iStock)

Alpert called for much probe to recognize the relationship, if any, betwixt handedness and intelligence health.

Lead writer Packheiser agreed the results are "purely correlational."

"We person nary causal grounds that processing a psychiatric upset linked to language oregon neurodevelopment causes a alteration successful handedness, oregon whether changes successful handedness origin immoderate disorder," helium told Fox News Digital. 

For much Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

"Individuals from the wide nationalist should truthful ne'er beryllium alarmed if their kid prefers to usage the near hand," the researcher said.

"But fixed the emergence of mental disorders successful the population, it is important to amended recognize them."