title: A longitudinal study on hand use while building a tower.
abstract: The aim of the study was to describe a developmental trend of hand use for picking up and stacking blocks from the age of 18 months to 7 years. A second aim was to determine whether there is a relationship between right-hand use while building a tower and manual laterality at school age. A total of 28 children were asked to build a tower at five longitudinal assessments. The use of the right hand fluctuated considerably with age (p<.05), but no age-related increase was observed. Right-hand use was rather prominent at 18 months, decreased significantly at 26 months, increased at age 4;7, decreased again at 5;7, and finally increased again at age 7. From age 4;7 onwards, the percentage of right-hand use for stacking the blocks was significantly (p<.05) related to the laterality quotient at school age.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Center for Physiological Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Marschik
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Einspieler
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strohmeier
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Garzarolli
authors.forename: Heinz F R
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Prechtl
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance