title: On the mediating effects of pregnancy and birth stress events on the relation between lateral preferences and cognitive functioning in healthy school-aged children.
abstract: If the pathological left-handedness theory is valid, left-handed people who also experienced pregnancy and birth stress events (PBSEs) would especially be expected to deviate from the cognitive norm (rather than left-handers in general). This hypothesis was tested in a large sample of healthy children (aged 6.6-15.9 years). Multiple cognitive abilities were assessed, including verbal fluency and working memory. Children with a left lateral preference who also experienced a PBSE did not deviate from the cognitive norm. Age was positively associated with all cognitive measures, and mean level of parental education strongly affected verbal fluency functioning.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. Wim.vanderelst@gmail.com
authors.forename: Wim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van der Elst
authors.forename: Renske
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wassenberg
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meijs
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hurks
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Boxtel
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jolles
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017008:Negotiating / Q000379:methods*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014706:Verbal Learning