Are Footedness and Lateral Postures Better Predictors of Hemispheric Dominance Than Handedness: A Cross-sectional Questionnaire-Based Clinical and Pedigree Study

Abstract

Objective Approximately 9 out of 10 individuals show right-hand dominance. The remaining 10% include left-hand dominant and mixed handed/ambidextrous individuals. Laterality, lateral postures or lateral preference is defined by various authors as the most comfortable posture that an individual prefers to assume. The current study aims at finding the distribution of these lateral postures and their correlation with handedness/dominant side. Materials and Methods The study was done in medical and nursing students in the age group 18 to 22 years. The patients were asked to fill a self-assessment questionnaire to determine handedness and footedness. The laterality traits were observed by asking the patients to do by themselves after an untailored demonstration. Statistical Analysis The relationship between study parameters was assessed using Chi-square test. Pearson's correlation test was done to assess the strength of association between comfort ratings of the various laterality postures. Results In our study, 96.5% were right handed and 79.9% of patients were right footed. Also, 50.8% preferred right-hand clasping, 53.9% preferred left-arm folding, and 60.6% preferred right-leg folding. A statistically significant correlation was seen between foot preference and lateral postures and arm folding and hand clasping (p < 0.05). A significant association was also found between handedness and positive history of retraining. Sidedness did not follow any Mendelian pattern of inheritance. Conclusions Handedness is affected by genetic and environmental factors. Since cultural and traditional practices can affect the lateral postures and handedness, it is important to know the relationship between laterality postures and sidedness and the impact of retraining on them. These postures are measures of cerebral dominance and are clinically important.