title: Reversal of handedness effects on bimanual coordination in adults with Down syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research on unimanual tasks suggested that motor asymmetries between hands may be reduced in people with Down syndrome. Our study examined handedness (as assessed by hand performance) and perceptual-motor integration effects on bimanual coordination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults with Down syndrome (13 non-right-handed, 22 right-handed), along with comparison groups of adults (16 non-right-handed, 21 right-handed) and children (15 non-right-handed, 22 right-handed) without Down syndrome, drummed with auditory, verbal and visual instructions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to handedness effects in the children and adults without Down syndrome, right-handed participants with Down syndrome led more with the left hand, and had lower coordination stability than non-right-handed participants with Down syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reversed handedness effect during bimanual coordination suggests a complex relationship between handedness and task requirements in adults with Down syndrome.
authors: Kinesiology Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-0701, USA. gmulvey@asu.edu
authors: G M
authors: GM
authors: Mulvey
authors: S D R
authors: SD
authors: Ringenbach
authors: M L
authors: ML
authors: Jung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D014825:Vocabulary; D055815:Young Adult