title: Hand preference and hand performance: cross-sectional developmental trends and family resemblance in degree of laterality.
abstract: The first aim of the study was to compare developmental trends in the degree of laterality (independent of direction) observed in two handedness tasks. The second aim was to assess family resemblance in the degree of laterality using the same two tasks. The sample was comprised of 186 left-handers and 302 right-handers aged from 6 to 66. Some of the sample were members of the same families. Bishop's card-reaching task was used to assess hand preference, and Annett's peg-moving task to assess manual performance. For the card-reaching task, children aged 7 to 10/11 recorded more midline crossings than the other age groups (both younger and older). No general age-related trend was observed for the Annett pegboard. For the card-reaching task, family resemblance was very low and not significant. The degree of laterality, assessed with the peg-moving task, showed a small but significant resemblance in father-offspring pairs (sons and daughters). Putative involvement of a maternally suppressed gene on chromosome 2p12 and of the androgen receptor was discussed.
authors.affiliation: IUFM Orléans-Tours, Orléans, France.
authors.forename: Anne-Lise
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Doyen
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dufour
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Caroff
authors.forename: Améziane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cherfouh
authors.forename: Michèle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002889:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2 / Q000235:genetics; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen