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Handedness in Mental Handicap: Investigation into Populations of Down's Syndrome, Epilepsy and Autism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

J. Lewin ,
D. Kohen  and
G. Mathew
J. Lewin*
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry of Disability, Department of Mental Health Sciences, St George's Hospital Medical School, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE
D. Kohen
Affiliation:
Charing Cross and Westminster Hospital and Medical School, London
G. Mathew
Affiliation:
Cell Barnes Hospital, St Albans
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

The handedness in three randomly sampled groups of people with learning disabilities consisting of patients with Down's syndrome, epilepsy, and autism were studied using a validated instrument. All subjects were controlled for neurological and other medical disorders. A statistically significant increase in left-handedness and ambiguous handedness compared with the general population was found in all groups. There was no significant difference in the rate of left-handedness between the three groups.

Type
Brief Reports
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 163 , Issue 5 , November 1993 , pp. 674 - 676
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1993 

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