Handedness and depression: Evidence from a large population survey

Denny, Kevin

doi:10.1080/13576500802362869

Cited by 65 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…In contrast, genes associated with handedness ontogenesis are involved in diseases affecting the whole body, which supports our findings from GO analyses and the argumentation pointed out by Brandler et al (2013). Among the significantly enriched diseases were many that had been associated with handedness before, specifically depression (Denny, 2009), bipolar disorder (Nowakowska et al, 2008), language and learning disorders (Geschwind and Behan, 1982), anxiety disorders (Logue et al, 2015), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (Brandler and Paracchini, 2014), and schizophrenia (Hirnstein and Hugdahl, 2014). …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

The Functional Genetics of Handedness and Language Lateralization: Insights from Gene Ontology, Pathway and Disease Association Analyses

et al. 2017

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Handedness and language lateralization are partially determined by genetic influences. It has been estimated that at least 40 (and potentially more) possibly interacting genes may influence the ontogenesis of hemispheric asymmetries. Recently, it has been suggested that analyzing the genetics of hemispheric asymmetries on the level of gene ontology sets, rather than at the level of individual genes, might be more informative for understanding the underlying functional cascades. Here, we performed gene ontology, pathway and disease association analyses on genes that have previously been associated with handedness and language lateralization. Significant gene ontology sets for handedness were anatomical structure development, pattern specification (especially asymmetry formation) and biological regulation. Pathway analysis highlighted the importance of the TGF-beta signaling pathway for handedness ontogenesis. Significant gene ontology sets for language lateralization were responses to different stimuli, nervous system development, transport, signaling, and biological regulation. Despite the fact that some authors assume that handedness and language lateralization share a common ontogenetic basis, gene ontology sets barely overlap between phenotypes. Compared to genes involved in handedness, which mostly contribute to structural development, genes involved in language lateralization rather contribute to activity-dependent cognitive processes. Disease association analysis revealed associations of genes involved in handedness with diseases affecting the whole body, while genes involved in language lateralization were specifically engaged in mental and neurological diseases. These findings further support the idea that handedness and language lateralization are ontogenetically independent, complex phenotypes.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

The Functional Genetics of Handedness and Language Lateralization: Insights from Gene Ontology, Pathway and Disease Association Analyses

et al. 2017

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“…A study by Denny [31] conducted on a very large population of people from various European countries found that left-handers were significantly more likely to have depressive symptoms than were right handers. Non-right handers, meaning either ambidextrous or left-handed (also referred to as mixed handedness), are more prone than right-handers to suffer from a range of conditions, including schizophrenia [32,33], psychosis [34] and post-traumatic stress disorder [35].…”

Section: Limb Preference and Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

A Matter of Degree: Strength of Brain Asymmetry and Behaviour

Rogers

2017

Symmetry

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Abstract:Research on a growing number of vertebrate species has shown that the left and right sides of the brain process information in different ways and that lateralized brain function is expressed in both specific and broad aspects of behaviour. This paper reviews the available evidence relating strength of lateralization to behavioural/cognitive performance. It begins by considering the relationship between limb preference and behaviour in humans and primates from the perspectives of direction and strength of lateralization. In birds, eye preference is used as a reflection of brain asymmetry and the strength of this asymmetry is associated with behaviour important for survival (e.g., visual discrimination of food from non-food and performance of two tasks in parallel). The same applies to studies on aquatic species, mainly fish but also tadpoles, in which strength of lateralization has been assessed as eye preferences or turning biases. Overall, the empirical evidence across vertebrate species points to the conclusion that stronger lateralization is advantageous in a wide range of contexts. Brief discussion of interhemispheric communication follows together with discussion of experiments that examined the effects of sectioning pathways connecting the left and right sides of the brain, or of preventing the development of these left-right connections. The conclusion reached is that degree of functional lateralization affects behaviour in quite similar ways across vertebrate species. Although the direction of lateralization is also important, in many situations strength of lateralization matters more. Finally, possible interactions between asymmetry in different sensory modalities is considered.

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“…One such trait, left-handedness, occurs in 11.1% of the US population (Gilbert & Wysocki, 1992). Left-handedness clusters in familial lineages (McKeever, 2000) and is related to higher rates of depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorders in adults (Bellani et al, 2010;Denny, 2009;Leask & Crow, 2005;Nowakowska et al, 2008). Studies of left-handedness and psychiatric disorders in childhood are rare, especially in urban populations.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychiatric disorders and left-handedness in children living in an urban environment

Logue

Kaufmann

et al. 2014

Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition

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The objective of this study was to conduct an analysis of left-handed children treated in an urban mental health clinic to investigate the frequency and severity of psychiatric disorders compared to right-handed peers. Data on handedness, diagnoses, hospitalizations and severity of mental disorders were collected on 692 consecutive children, 4-18 years old (M=10.1, SD=3.2), referred for psychiatric evaluation. Left-handed children were 18.2% of patients in the study, a rate significantly higher than left-hand dominance in the USA (p<.05). Compared to children with right-handedness, logistic regression analysis yielded 31% [odds ratio (OR)=1.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15-1.50] higher odds of having more psychiatric diagnosis, 70% (OR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.10-2.62) increased odds of anxiety, 53% (OR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.03-2.27) increased odds of depression and 78% (OR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.21-2.62) increased odds of oppositional defiant disorder for children who were left-handed. Left-handed children had increased odds of being prescribed antipsychotic and anxiolytic medication uses, 53% and 86% increased odds, respectively, and 66% (OR=1.66, 95% CI: 1.08-2.55) increased odds of psychiatric hospitalizations. Left-handedness was a phenotypic risk factor for psychiatric disorders and increased severity of psychiatric disorders.

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Handedness and depression: Evidence from a large population survey

Cited by 65 publications

References 37 publications

The Functional Genetics of Handedness and Language Lateralization: Insights from Gene Ontology, Pathway and Disease Association Analyses

The Functional Genetics of Handedness and Language Lateralization: Insights from Gene Ontology, Pathway and Disease Association Analyses

A Matter of Degree: Strength of Brain Asymmetry and Behaviour

Psychiatric disorders and left-handedness in children living in an urban environment

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