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Associations between handedness and executive function in upper-middle-aged people
1a Department of Health Sciences , Kansai University of Welfare Sciences , Kashiwara , Japan.
Left-handed individuals, regardless of sex, performed worse on executive function and visuospatial tests compared to right-handed individuals. This study highlights differences in cognitive laterality between handedness groups in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Behavior
Background:
- The relationship between handedness and cognitive functions, particularly executive functioning, is complex and not fully understood.
- Previous research using behavioral measures has yielded inconclusive results regarding handedness and executive function differences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between handedness and executive function in healthy older adults.
- To compare executive function and visuospatial performance between left-handed and right-handed individuals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Digit Cancellation Test (D-CAT) for executive function and the Money Road Test for visuospatial performance.
- Compared 76 left-handed and 76 age-matched right-handed healthy community dwellers (mean age 62.7 years).
- Analyzed performance differences based on handedness and sex.
Main Results:
- Left-handed individuals exhibited poorer performance on both executive function (D-CAT) and visuospatial (Money Road Test) compared to right-handed individuals.
- Right-handed individuals displayed typical cognitive laterality patterns concerning sex, while left-handed individuals did not show clear laterality differences.
- No significant handedness differences in executive function were observed in men, nor in visuospatial function in women.
Conclusions:
- Handedness is associated with differences in executive function and visuospatial performance in upper-middle-aged adults.
- Left-handedness may be linked to altered cognitive laterality compared to right-handedness.
- Further research is needed to explore the specific components of executive functioning (updating, shifting, inhibition) contributing to these handedness-related cognitive differences.
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