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Adverse birth factors predict cognitive ability, but not hand preference.
Michael E R Nicholls1, David W Johnston, Michael A Shields
1School of Psychology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. mike.nicholls@flinders.edu.au
Birth stress impacts child cognitive and behavioral outcomes but not handedness. Left-handedness is linked to lower cognitive ability, suggesting specific cerebral dominance mechanisms, not generalized birth stress.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Human Genetics
Background:
- A persistent theory links birth stress and brain pathology to left-handedness.
- Existing evidence is mixed due to small sample sizes and unreliable health data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between birth stress and handedness using a large, objective dataset.
- To examine the dissociation between birth factors affecting cognitive ability versus hand preference.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from approximately 10,000 children in the British Cohort Study.
- Included objective birth-health reports, socioeconomic status, handedness, cognitive ability, and behavioral/health measures.
Main Results:
- Birth stress variables influenced cognitive, behavioral, and health outcomes.
- These factors did not influence the direction or degree of hand preference.
- A link was found between left-handedness and reduced cognitive ability.
Conclusions:
- Demonstrated a dissociation: adverse birth factors affect cognitive ability but not handedness or cerebral lateralization.
- The link between left-handedness and lower cognitive ability is not due to generalized birth stress.
- Specific mechanisms related to cerebral dominance may explain the left-handedness and cognitive ability link.
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