Anatomical and behavioural asymmetries in right and left handers from India

A biometric study of the right and left limb size and functional-behavioural measures, such as, strength of the hand and the foot, foot-eye-ear preferences, asymmetries in visual acuity and audiometry, asymmetries in taste and smell perceptions was made in a sample of Indian students to find out the interrelationships between the above parameters. Healthy adult male (n = 42), females (n = 45) right handers, and, male (n = 21), female (n = 20) left handers were studied. In each, 8 measurements of each of the limbs were taken, and the strength of the hands and feet determined. Hand and foot preferences were determined through 11 and 9 tasks respectively. Dominance in the eye, ear, taste and smell were ascertained by various tests. Right or left handedness and right footedness were clearly discernible but left footedness was indistinct. Right handedness was associated with dominant right upper limb and left handedness was associated with dominant left upper limb. Only right handers showed a dominant corresponding lower limb. Eyedness was related to handedness in males. Earedness and taste were associated with handedness in females. Smell had no relationship with handedness in both sexes. There was no interrelationship between handedness, footedness, eyedness, earedness, taste and smell.