WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - An international team of researchers from Germany, the Netherlands, and Greece found that people who are left-handed or use both hands (mixed-handed) are more likely to have certain conditions that start early in life and affect language skills. These include dyslexia, schizophrenia, and autism, as per the study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin.
The researchers looked at data from 402 studies, combining results from ten earlier reviews. This helped them spot patterns that were hard to see when looking at each condition separately.
They found three things that are linked to higher rates of left- or mixed-handedness - brain conditions that develop early, disorders that begin in childhood, and problems that affect language.
' We suspected that left- and mixed- handedness could be associated with disorders whose symptoms are related to language. Language, like handedness, has a very one-sided location in the brain, so it stands to reason that the development of both and their disorders could be linked,' said Dr. Julian Packheiser, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum.
Interestingly, hand preference starts forming before birth. For example, babies seen sucking their thumb at just 10 weeks in the womb often show the same hand preference later in life.
This study highlights a strong link between the way our brain controls simple things like which hand we use and bigger processes that shape our development. If these processes are disrupted, it may affect both handedness and mental health.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
