Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire Research Articles

Psychological assessment of event-related motor potential in different brain regions in carrying out simple and complicated tasks

Introduction: Training in a certain skill not only culminates in better motor performance but also leads to neural adjustments and regulations in different brain regions. Aim: The present study aimed to psychologically assess event-related motor potential in motor-related cortical regions during simple and complicated tasks. Method: The current research was of a semi-experimental type with a single-phase post-test design without a control group. The participants of the present study consisted of all 20-32-year-old right-handed male table tennis players in Tehran, in 2019. A total of 8 samples were selected via convenience sampling. Data were collected at the National Brain Mapping Laboratory. Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (1970), Ocular Dominance Testing Card (1910), the Newgy Robo Pong Model 2050 Digital Table Tennis Robot, and the Specific Test for Table Tennis Stroke (2016) were used to record speed from Radar gun, and cameras and judges’ scoring were also used to measure accuracy. Moreover, the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical test was employed to assess the differences in two levels of task complexity in SPSS software version 24. Results: The results showed that the motor potential in the primary motor cortex region had a greater range in the simple task than in the complicated task (P=0.012); however, the premotor (P=0.008) and the posterior parietal cortical regions (P=0.026) of the complicated task had larger ranges than the simple task. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the motor potential range is dependent on the task complexity level. Therefore, it is suggested that tasks with different complexity levels be taken into account in investigating event-dependent potentials.

Comparison of Vestibular Function Between Right and Left Handed Normal Population

Objective To identify the side of vestibular dominance in right handed & left handed people.
 Method A total of 50 normal subjects, aged between 15 - 45 years were included as Left handers (n = 25) and Right handers (n = 25). Handedness was confirmed by the Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire. Bithermal caloric testing was done which was recorded by Electronystagmography (ENG). Maximum Slow Phase Velocity (MSPV) was taken as the parameter of choice. Directional Preponderance (DP) and Canal Paresis (CP) were calculated in each group.
 Results Out of the 25 Left handed subjects, 8 had DP towards Left whereas 7 had DP towards the Right and the remaining 10 showed no DP to any side (normal) (p<0.001). Out of the 25 Right handed subjects, 4 had DP towards Right and none had DP towards the Left, remaining 21 showed no DP to any side (normal) (p<0.001). For CP, out of 25 Left handed subjects, 2 showed CP towards the Left and 1 towards the Right, the remaining 22 showed no CP (normal) at all. Similarly out of the 25 Right handed subjects, 2 showed CP towards the Left and 1 towards the Right, the remaining 22 showed no CP (normal) at all. Out of 25 Right handers, it was found that Right handers showed Right vestibular preference whereas vestibular preference was almost equally distributed to Left and Right side in Left handers.
 Conclusion On considering DP, it was found that Right handers showed Right vestibular preference whereas vestibular preference was almost equally distributed toLeft and Right side in Left handers (p<0.001).

Improvement of Speech Function in Patients with Aphasia: The Right Hemisphere, an Enemy or a Friend?

The purpose of our research is to investigate interhemispheric language functional reorganization in patients with gliomas of the left hemisphere using functional magnetic resonance tomography (fMRI) in comparison with the dynamics of speech disorders. A total of 20 patients with a glioma in the left hemisphere underwent fMRI examination and Luria’s neuropsychological testing. The age of patients varied from 26 to 67 years; the mean age was 40 years (median, interquartile range; 13 women and 7 men). The glioma was located in the frontal lobe (12 patients) 34.50–49.75 years; or in the temporal lobe (8 patients). All patients underwent both fMRI scanning and neuropsychological testing on the same day before the surgery and then 3–10 days and 3, 5–7, 12 months after tumor surgery. The handedness was determined by using self-assessment and the Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire. Almost all the subjects were right-handed, and one was ambidexter. On the basis of the analysis of fMRI data in dynamics, all subjects were divided into two groups: (1) patients with no signs of activation of the right hemisphere homologues of Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas (even in 4 patients with severe aphasia) during the follow-up period (at least one year), and (2) patients with signs of activation in the right-sided Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, which were found in at least several tests (16 patients; 3 of them had normal speech function during the whole follow-up period). We conclude that the lack of consistency between the presence/absence of aphasia and the activation of homologous speech areas in the right hemisphere in fMRI results from individual differences in the involvement of the right hemisphere in speech processes. Thus, we should be very cautious about the hypothesis of reciprocal relationships of the hemispheres in speech function and the use of this hypothesis in speech rehabilitation.

Fractionating negative and positive affectivity in handedness: Insights from the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of personality

ABSTRACTThe Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (AHPQ), as modified by Briggs and Nebes [(1975). Patterns of hand preference in a student population. Cortex, 11(3), 230–238. doi:10.1016/s0010-9452(75)80005-0], was administered to a sample of 177 participants alongside the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire [RST-PQ; Corr, P. J., & Cooper, A. (2016). The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ): Development and validation. Psychological Assessment. doi:10.1037/pas000], which measures two factors of defensive negative emotion, motivation and affectivity—the Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) and the Fight–Flight–Freeze System (FFFS)—and one positive-approach dimension related to reward sensitivity, persistence and reactivity—the Behavioural Approach System. We sought to clarify the nature of negative, and positive, affectivity in relation to handedness. ANOVAs and multiple regression analyses converged on the following conclusions: left-handers were higher on the BIS, not the FFFS, than right-handers; in right-handers only, strength of hand preference was positively correlated with the FFFS, not the BIS. The original assessment method proposed by Annett was also used to assess handedness, but associations with RST-PQ factors were not found. These findings help us to clarify existing issues in the literature and raise new ones for future research.

Handedness and schizotypy: The potential effect of changing the writing-hand

Mixed-handedness, which has been associated with schizotypy in recent studies, might exist for at least two different reasons: it is innate or it has been forced. We examined whether the association between mixed-handedness and schizotypy differs depending on its source. We enrolled 3485 college students in Taiwan. We used both the Perceptual Aberration Scale and Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire to assess schizotypy, and the Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire to assess handedness. Two ways of classifying handedness were examined: the three-way classification based on Annett's categories and mixed- vs. non-mixed-handedness based on Degree of Handedness. Both mixed-handedness groups showed higher positive schizotypy scores. Among mixed handers, those who had been required to change their writing hand from left to right had higher positive schizotypy scores. Being forced to change writing hand seemed to be related to a higher level of schizotypy. The potential effect of the social pressure against using the left hand for writing is discussed.

Handedness and behavioural inhibition system/behavioural activation system (BIS/BAS) scores: A replication and extension of Wright, Hardie, and Wilson (2009)

The Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (AHPQ) as modified by Briggs and Nebes was administered along with Carver and White's behavioural inhibition system (BIS) and behavioural activation system (BAS) scale and a shortened form of the Big Five personality questionnaire to 92 university students. After eliminating the data from five respondents who reported having changed handedness and one outlier, there was a significant sex difference in mean BIS scores, with females (n = 43) scoring higher than males (n = 43). Replicating the results of Wright, Hardie and Wilson, non-right-handers (n = 36) had significantly higher mean BIS score than right-handers (n = 50). Controlling for sex of participant, neuroticism and BAS sub-scale scores in hierarchical regression analyses left this BIS effect substantially unaffected. There was no handedness or sex difference on any of the three BAS sub-scales. Further analyses revealed no association between strength, as distinct from direction, of handedness and BIS (or BAS) scores. The findings are discussed with reference to recent developments in reinforcement sensitivity theory on which BIS/BAS variables are based.

Cognitive functioning among patients with schizophrenia in a Nigerian hospital: a comparison with mood disorder

ObjectiveThe study aimed to investigate correlates of cognition among patients with schizophrenia. MethodsOver a three month period, in-patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 50) and mood disorders (n = 50) were recruited into the study. Both groups of patients were assessed using the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN), the Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (AHPQ) and the Global Assessment of Function Scale (GAF). Patients with schizophrenia were further assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndromes Scale, PANSS and the Clinical Global impression (CGI). The cognitive screen section of SCAN (comprising Verbal Trails Test and Mini Mental State examination, MMSE) and the cognitive factor of PANSS were used to assess cognitive function. ResultsNo differences were found in the cognitive profile of patients with schizophrenia and mood disorder. Among patients with schizophrenia, poor verbal performance was associated with the negative or mixed syndrome (p = 0.004), left or mixed handedness (p = 0.013), greater illness severity (p = 0.030) and lower GAF scores (p = 0.039). Poor performance on MMSE correlated with higher total PANSS score (p = 0.022) and was also associated with the negative or mixed syndrome (p = 0.003) and lack of clinical improvement (p = 0.035). ConclusionPatients with the negative or mixed schizophrenia syndrome may suffer more cognitive deficit. Poor verbal performance among patients with schizophrenia may be associated with left or mixed handedness, more severe illness and poor functioning.

The Relationship of Hand Dominance and Dominant Eye to Some Diseases of University Students

There are studies about right hemisphere dominance in the direction of slowing the development of the body’s immune mechanisms. In these studies, the clinical condition of the subject associated with cerebral the lateralization, in some patient subgroups left hand dominance and increased rates are seen to be two handedness. In our study, we had investigated the hand preference and eye dominance relationships with some of the diseases. 95 students were applied exactly “Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire”, “Beck Depression Inventory”, dominant eye test. Subjects were asked if they had the diagnosis of any cardiovascular, respiratory system, digestive system, urogenital system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, endocrine system diseases or rheumatic diseases, allergy, diabetes, vision, hearing and speech problems. In this study, both handedness and right-handedness rates in males and women with left-handedness rate are more common, although there was no significant difference between hand preference and gender. 50.5% of the participants have the dominant eye as left. The right eye dominance rate in women is higher than men. There was no significant difference between gender and eye dominance. In this study the relationship between eye dominance and hand dominance was not statistically significant. In the comparison of left-handedness and neurological diseases was found as significance ( p=0.025). According to the results of the Beck Depression Inventory, there were not a significant difference when the participants’ emotional states, compared to the dominant eye and hand preference. In addition to many factors on immune mechanisms of cerebral hemisphere dominance may be affective must be known. On this subjects with new studies pathophysiology of many neuroendocrine, neuroimmune psychiatric disorders of treatment approaches that can illuminate accordingly to be able to change.

Patterns of hand preference in Italian adolescent high-school students

The Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (AHPQ) is amongst the most widely used self-report measures of handedness. The psychometric properties of the AHPQ have been rarely evaluated outside the Anglo-Saxon culture where the majority of the studies on the AHPQ were done. In this study, 1,023 students (males = 49.5%) from four large high schools operating in the district of Cagliari (Italy) were invited to fill in the Italian version of the AHPQ. The AHPQ was proved to measure a unidimensional latent trait, and the questionnaire was good at assessing deviation from right-handedness with high discrimination between subjects. Some items were more informative than others, and in particular the non-equivalence between the primary and the non-primary actions was confirmed by both the confirmatory factor and the item response theory analysis. The use of the rule of thumb that classifies subjects on the basis of the primary actions was supported for the distinction between consistent right- and left-handed. However, the mixed-handed group identified on the basis of the rule of thumb was not entirely consistent with the mixed-handed class predicted by the latent class analysis. Males were about twice as likely as females to be in the mixed-handed class.

Psychotic-like symptoms and positive schizotypy are associated with mixed and ambiguous handedness in an adolescent community sample

The objective of this study was to replicate the association between atypical handedness and psychosis-proneness in a representative sample of adolescents from the general population. It expands previous studies by (1) analyzing a variety of atypical handedness indexes (left, mixed, ambiguous, and inconsistent), (2) measuring comprehensively the multidimensionality of psychosis-proneness, and (3) analyzing the association of different patterns of atypical handedness with nonclinical dimensions of both trait (schizotypy) and sub-clinical symptom (psychotic-like experiences) levels. Seven hundred and twenty-eight adolescents were assessed for handedness by the 12-item self-report Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire and for psychosis-proneness by the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences and the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences scales. Writing-hand alone did not detect associations between laterality and psychosis-proneness. Mixed- rather than left-handedness was related to psychosis-proneness, and this was more evident when analyzing subjects with ambiguous handedness exclusively. When analysis was restricted to subjects with non-ambiguous handedness, strong left-handedness was related to psychosis-proneness. The positive dimension showed a stronger association than the negative one with atypical handedness. Results partially support mixed-handedness as a marker of developmental disorders underlying both atypical lateralization and psychosis-proneness. Among various possible mixed-handedness patterns, inconsistent hand use across primary actions, and for the same action across time, seems particularly related to psychosis-proneness and thus requires further exploration.

Patterns of hand preference for pairs of actions and the classification of handedness

Pairs of actions such as write x throw and throw x racquet were examined for items of the Annett hand preference questionnaire (AHPQ). Right (R) and left (L) responses were described for frequencies of RR, RL, LR, and LL pairings (write x throw etc.) in a large representative combined sample with the aim of discovering the distribution over the population as a whole. The frequencies of RL pairings varied significantly over the different item pairs but the frequencies of LR pairings were fairly constant. An important difference was found between primary actions (originally write, throw, racquet, match, toothbrush, hammer with the later addition of scissors for right-handers) and non-primary actions (needle and thread, broom, spade, dealing playing cards, and unscrewing the lid of a jar). For primary actions, there were similar numbers of right and left writers using the 'other' hand. For non-primary actions more right-handers used the left hand than for primary actions but more left-handers did not use the right hand. That is, different frequencies of response to primary versus non-primary actions were found for right-handers but not for left-handers. The pattern of findings was repeated for a corresponding analysis of left-handed throwing x AHPQ actions. The findings have implications for the classification of hand preferences and for analyses of the nature of hand skill.

Mixed handedness prevails among children and adolescents with infantile asthma and diabetes

Non-right handedness has been associated with allergic diseases and asthma. Infantile diabetes, too, has been associated with non-right handedness but, to date, data are more consistent on a link between left handedness and asthma than on diabetes. We surmised that mixed handedness, as an indicator of neurodevelopmental disturbance of brain laterality, rather than left handedness is more prevalent among children with asthma and diabetes mellitus. A total of 100 families with a child or an adolescent diagnosed with infantile asthma (n = 50) or diabetes mellitus type 1 (n = 50) attending the Paediatric Clinic of the 'Brotzu' Hospital in Cagliari (Italy) in 2006 agreed to participate in the study. The Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire was used to test handedness. Compared with 99 same-age and -sex controls, cases were marginally less likely to be right handed (71% vs. 86%; OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.54-1.25), and statistically more likely to be mixed handed (20% vs. 6%; OR = 3.30, 95% CI = 1.27-8.56) than controls: chi(2) = 8.84, d.f. = 2, p = 0.01. Children with asthma or diabetes did not differ from controls by season of birth; however, mixed-handed (n = 12, 46%) and left-handed (n = 6, 35%) children were statistically more likely to be born in winter as against the other seasons than those who were right handed (n = 36, 23%). Severity was also marginally related to the chance of being classified as non-right handed. People with a genetic predisposition to immune disorders could be more likely to have been negatively affected by infection and inflammation during fetal life, thus developing a deviation in handedness during neurodevelopment, as well as suffering the consequence of disordered immunity during childhood, such as allergic reactions (asthma) and immune-mediated damage to specific internal organs (diabetes type 1).

Creativity and Psychopathology

Creative people have been found to score higher on psychopathologic scales in standardized tests, particularly on the scales that measure traits of psychoticism, and to be more likely to report an excess of nonright handedness compared with controls. However, results are inconsistent across surveys and methodologies, and the contribution of substance abuse has rarely been measured. In this study, 80 creative artists were compared with 80 matched noncreative controls on the Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (HPQ), the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory, and the General Health Questionnaire. Creative artists were statistically more likely to admit the use of the left hand on the HPQ, with more widespread left hand use reported by artists involved in the creative activities traditionally associated with the right hemisphere (music and painting). They also scored higher on the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory independently from the level of psychopathology (measured with the General Health Questionnaire), from their laterality score (measured with the HPQ), and from their higher use of both licit and illicit drugs.

A classification of handedness using the Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire

The Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (AHPQ) was administered to a sample of 352 randomly selected individuals from the general community to examine the reproducibility of its handedness classification and to evaluate its model-based reliability and convergent validity. Latent class analysis showed that the eight categories of hand preferences could not be justified on statistical grounds. Instead, three broad handedness classes adequately accommodated the variety of handedness patterns: 'consistent right' (66.0%), 'consistent left' (9.8%) and 'inconsistent or mixed' (24.2%). Confirmatory factor analysis not only showed that the AHPQ is reliable and has solid convergent validity, but also the measurement properties of the AHPQ could be further improved by eliminating a few items from the scale. The implications of these findings are discussed, and it is suggested that questionnaire requires modification, possibly by replacing obsolete items such as 'sweeping' and 'shovelling' with modern manual activities, such as 'typing SMS messages' and 'using a remote control'.

Mixed-handedness is associated with the reporting of psychotic-like beliefs in a non-clinical Italian sample

Atypical handedness has been repeatedly reported in schizophrenia, with quantitative review of evidence showing an increase of non-right-handedness in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Mixed-handedness is also higher among non-clinical people scoring high on questionnaires aimed at measuring psychosis-proneness. However, the greatest part of information on non-clinical samples came from samples collected in North America or in the UK: differences by countries in the socio-cultural pressure to use the right hand could influence the results. In this study 604 Italian non-clinical participants (248 males, 41.1%; 356 females, 58.9%; mean age = 34.5 ± 11.9) completed the Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (HPQ), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (PDI). In the sample, 527 subjects (87.3%) were classified on the HPQ as right-handed, 53 (8.8%) were classified as mixed-handed, and 24 (4.0%) were classified as left-handed. Mixed-handed scored statistically higher on the PDI than the right-handed and left-handed, but right-handed and left-handed did not differ from each other on a statistical ground. The difference by handedness was specific for PDI, since scores on the GHQ-12 did not differ by handedness group. The links between mixed-handedness and psychosis-proneness in non-clinical samples are a reliable finding, deserving further investigation as a model for the risk of schizophrenia.

Schizotypy is increased in mixed-handers, especially right-handed writers who use the left hand for primary actions

Associations between schizotypy and handedness were examined in 733 undergraduates for the Sta and Unex scales of the O-LIFE inventory and several measures derived from the Annett hand preference questionnaire. Higher schizotypy scores were found for mixed-handers defined in various ways, including inconsistent preference for any item of the questionnaire and also the presence of either hand responses. There was a marked elevation of schizotypy scores ( p < .001) for right-handed writers who prefer the left hand for other ‘primary’ actions (throwing, racket, match, hammer, toothbrush and scissors). This observation was replicated in 182 students assessed on the Rust Scale of Schizotypal Cognitions. Several findings agree that inconsistent hand preference is associated with a raised probability of schizotypal thinking.

Mixed-handedness in patients with functional psychosis.

An excess of non-right-handedness has been shown among patients with schizophrenia. However it is not clear whether this finding can be accounted for by an increase in left-handedness, mixed-handedness or both. It is not known whether atypical patterns of hand preferences occur in other functional psychotic illnesses. The Annett hand preference questionnaire was administered to patients with schizophrenia (n = 120); affective psychosis (n = 55); schizoaffective psychosis (n = 41), and control subjects (n = 86). Handedness was classified into three categories: right, mixed and left-handedness. The hand preference patterns of patients with functional psychotic illnesses were not significantly different from controls. Patients with schizophrenia showed a non-significant excess of mixed-handedness compared with controls. Patients with schizophrenia and affective psychosis showed a non-significant decrease in left-handedness compared with controls. Although our results showed a trend in the hypothesised direction, we failed to demonstrate that patients with psychotic illness differed from controls on self-reported hand preference patterns.

RETEST RELIABILITIES AND INTERRELATIONSHIP OF THE ANNETT HAND PREFERENCE QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE EDINBURGH HANDEDNESS INVENTORY

Retest reliabilities of the Annett hand preference questionnaire and the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory were obtained over a mean test‐retest period of 14 weeks using 73 subjects. Both questionnaires showed significant reliability coefficients, although these were perhaps not as high as would have been expected. The interrelationship of the questionnaires based on data from 617 subjects is described and the relative advantages and disadvantages of the questionnaires discussed.