[Motor and sensory laterality in the population of Prague]

Laterality is a developmental (not pathological) deviation in shape functional symmetry of paired motor and sensory organs. As it is one of the most specific features of the human being, great attention is paid to it during recent decades. These problems are important also form the point of view of findings of laterality changes in schizophrenics. The authors present results of examination of a normal Prague population sample. The estimated data on stratification of laterality findings in this group may serve as standard control figures for comparison and evaluation of findings in various defects and illnesses. 754 Prague blood donors (367 males and 387 females) aged 18-60 years (mean age 31.1 years) were examined. Probands in whom it could be the case of either pathological or out of necessity laterality or who had a history of mental disease were not included in this population. The motor (hand, foot) and sensory (eye, ear) phenotype of the probands were ascertained using Matĕjcek and Zlab test (8) which was expanded by several important operations. Moreover, the examination was supplemented by aimed questions on some operations. The total numbers found in this population were following: 74% of right-handed, 13.9% of ambidextrous and 12% of left-handed individuals. As for the motor laterality of the lower limbs, an ambiguous laterality of the foot is present more frequently (34.9%), right laterality in 56.9% and left only in 8.2%. The sensory left-sided laterality is generally higher than the motor left-sided laterality--left-sided vision in 26.7% and left-sided hearing in 23.3%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)