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Mixed-Handedness in Patients with Functional Psychosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

R. R. Malesu ,
M. Cannon ,
P. B. Jones ,
K. McKenzie ,
K. Gilvarry ,
L. Rifkin ,
B. K. Toone  and
R. M. Murray
R. R. Malesu*
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Hospital, Black Rock, St Michael, Barbados, and Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London
M. Cannon
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London
P. B. Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London
K. McKenzie
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London
K. Gilvarry
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London
L. Rifkin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London
B. K. Toone
Affiliation:
King's College and Maudsley Hospitals, Denmark Hill, London
R. M. Murray
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry and King's College Hospital, London
*
Dr Mary Cannon, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF
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Abstract

Background

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.

Method

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.

Results

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.

Conclusions

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.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 168 , Issue 2 , February 1996 , pp. 234 - 236
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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