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Laterality Preference and Cognition: Cross-Syndrome Comparison of Patients with Trisomy 21 (Down), del7q11.23 (Williams–Beuren) and del22q11.2 (DiGeorge or Velo-Cardio-Facial) Syndromes

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Abstract

We report on a cross-syndrome comparison of hand, foot, eye and ear laterality in three groups of individuals with different genetic disorders (trisomy 21, del7q11.23, and del22q11.2) to test the relationship between atypical laterality and intellectual disability. These groups were compared to a group of typically developing persons. Hand, foot, eye and ear laterality was assessed using item tasks, conducted twice, and Bishop’s card-reaching test. Ordering of the mean IQ score for each of the three groups was as follows: trisomy 21 < del7q11.23 < del22q11.2. We observed the same ordering as for IQ, particularly in mixed handedness, degree of laterality, hand and foot consistency. The existence of a cognitive threshold, below which lateral preference is atypical, advocates for a causal link between cognition and laterality in those with low IQ although unknown other factors underlying both could determine this association.

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Acknowledgments

This research project was supported by Aix Marseille University and CNRS (UMR6146), by Fondation Jérôme Lejeune (France), FIRB/MIUR “Action and Perception in the construction of the cognitive world” (RBNE01SZB4), ESF EUROCORES program “The Origin of Man, Language and Languages” (Italy). In Italy the research was conducted through the special agreement between ISTC-CNR, the Italian Williams Syndrome Association and ASL No. 8, Regione Sardegna. Aude Gérard Desplanches held a Jérôme Lejeune Foundation fellowship.

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  1. Aude Gérard Desplanches

    Present address: Centre Santé Rive Gauche, 19 avenue de Russie, Bellerive sur Allier, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR6146, Université Aix Marseille 1, CNRS, 3 Place Victor Hugo, Case D, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France

    Michèle Carlier & Aude Gérard Desplanches

  2. Aix Marseille Université, INSERM U910, Génétique Médicale Génomique Fonctionnelle, Marseille, France

    Nicole Philip

  3. Dipartimento di Nauroscienze, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale di Parma, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy

    Silvia Stefanini

  4. Department of Neuroscience, I.R.C.C.S., Children Hospital Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy

    Stefano Vicari

  5. Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy

    Virginia Volterra

  6. Institut des Neurosciences Cognitives de la Méditerranée, CNRS, Marseille, France

    Christine Deruelle

  7. Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, NYU Colleges of Dentistry & Nursing, NYU, New York, USA

    Gene Fisch

  8. IUFM Centre Val de Loire-Université d’Orléans, Orléans, France

    Anne Lise Doyen

  9. Center for Human Genetics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Anne Swillen

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  1. Michèle Carlier
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Correspondence to Michèle Carlier.

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Carlier, M., Desplanches, A.G., Philip, N. et al. Laterality Preference and Cognition: Cross-Syndrome Comparison of Patients with Trisomy 21 (Down), del7q11.23 (Williams–Beuren) and del22q11.2 (DiGeorge or Velo-Cardio-Facial) Syndromes. Behav Genet 41, 413–422 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-011-9465-2

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