Objective: Several studies have shown associations between left-handedness and several chronic diseases such as bronchial asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. Perceptual responses within the brain-gut axis play a crucial role in the development of the cardinal symptoms of functional gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The aim of this study was to determine the association between left-handedness and GI symptoms or diseases. Methods: 2,447 Japanese who underwent a routine health check-up were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire regarding age, gender, writing handedness and GI symptoms experienced over the past 3 months, including heartburn, acid regurgitation, epigastric pain, postprandial fullness, abdominal pain/discomfort, nausea and/or chest pain. Symptoms were positive when their frequency was 2 to 3 days per month or more. Diagnosis of dyspepsia and IBS was performed according to the Rome III Integrative Questionnaire. Results: Left-handedness was observed in 177 (7.2%) subjects. Early satiation, abdominal pain/fullness and postprandial fullness were less commonly observed in left-handed individuals. After adjustment for age and sex, left-handedness was found to be significantly associated with decreased OR for early satiation (OR = 0.43; 95% CI: 0.23–0.78). There were no significant associations between left-handedness and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), dyspepsia or IBS. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a significant negative association between left-handedness and early satiation. The findings suggest that cerebral lateralization may affect the development of GI symptoms.

1.
Krommydas G, Gourgoulianis KI, Andreou G, Molyvdas PA: Left-handedness in asthmatic children. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2003;14:234–237.
[PubMed]
2.
Kaynar H, Dane S: Prevalence of left-handedness among patients with different respiratory diseases. Int J Neurosci 2003;113:1371–1377.
[PubMed]
3.
Waldie KE, Hausmann M, Milne BJ, Poulton R: Migraine and cognitive function: a life-course study. Neurology 2002;59:904–908.
[PubMed]
4.
Tønnessen FE, Løkken A, Høien T, Lundberg I: Dyslexia, left-handedness, and immune disorders. Arch Neurol 1993;50:411–416.
[PubMed]
5.
Searleman A, Fugagli AK: Suspected autoimmune disorders and left-handedness: evidence from individuals with diabetes. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Neuropsychologia 1987;25:367–374.
[PubMed]
6.
Smith J: Left-handedness: its association with allergic disease. Neuropsychologia 1987;25:665–674.
[PubMed]
7.
Dellatolas G, Annesi I, Jallon P, Chavance M, Lellouch J: An epidemiological reconsideration of the Geschwind-Galaburda theory of cerebral lateralization. Arch Neurol 1990;47:778–782.
[PubMed]
8.
Morris DL, Montgomery SM, Galloway ML, Pounder RE, Wakefield AJ: Inflammatory bowel disease and laterality: is left handedness a risk? Gut 2001;49:199–202.
[PubMed]
9.
Persson PG, Ahlbom A: Relative risk is a relevant measure of association of left-handedness with inflammatory bowel disease. Neuropsychologia 1988;26:737–740.
[PubMed]
10.
Searleman A, Fugagli AK: Suspected autoimmune disorders and left-handedness: evidence from individuals with diabetes. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Neuropsychologia 1987;25:367–374.
[PubMed]
11.
Meyers S, Janowitz HD: Left-handedness and inflammatory bowel disease. J Clin Gastroenterol 1985;7:33–35.
[PubMed]
12.
Mayer EA, Naliboff BD, Craig AD: Neuroimaging of the brain-gut axis: from basic understanding to treatment of functional GI disorders. Gastroenterology 2006;131:1925–1942.
[PubMed]
13.
Bercik P, Verdu EF, Collins SM: Is irritable bowel syndrome a low-grade inflammatory bowel disease? Gastroenterol Clin North Am 2005;34:235–245.
[PubMed]
14.
Drossman DA, Corazziari E, Delvaux M, Spiller RC, Talley NJ, Thompson WG, Whitehead WE (eds): Rome III. The Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, ed 3. McClean, Degnon Associates, 2006.
15.
Perelle IB, Ehrman L: An international study of human handedness: the data. Behav Genet 1994;24:217–227.
[PubMed]
16.
Hatta T, Kawakami A: Patterns of handedness in modern Japanese: a cohort effect shown by re-administration of the H.N. Handedness Inventory after 20 years. Can J Exp Psychol 1995;49:505–512.
[PubMed]
17.
Koley S, Singh AP: An association of dominant hand grip strength with some anthropometric variables in Indian collegiate population. Anthropol Anz 2009;67:21–28.
[PubMed]
18.
Dancey CP, Attree EA, Bàrdos G, Kovacs A: Is there a link between irritable bowel syndrome and left-handedness? An exploratory study. Integr Physiol Behav Sci 2005;40:55–59.
[PubMed]
19.
Hatta T: Handedness and the brain: a review of brain-imaging techniques. Magn Reson Med Sci 2007;6:99–112.
[PubMed]
20.
Kindt S, Tack J: Impaired gastric accommodation and its role in dyspepsia. Gut 2006;55:1685–1691.
[PubMed]
21.
Ladabaum U, Roberts TP, McGonigle DJ: Gastric fundic distension activates fronto-limbic structures but not primary somatosensory cortex: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Neuroimage 2007;34:724–732.
[PubMed]
22.
Mayer EA, Aziz Q, Coen S, Kern M, Labus JS, Lane R, Kuo B, Naliboff B, Tracey I: Brain imaging approaches to the study of functional GI disorders: a Rome working team report. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2009;21:579–596.
[PubMed]
23.
Wang GJ, Tomasi D, Backus W, Wang R, Telang F, Geliebter A, Korner J, Bauman A, Fowler JS, Thanos PK, Volkow ND: Gastric distention activates satiety circuitry in the human brain. Neuroimage 2008;39:1824–1831.
[PubMed]
24.
Stephan E, Pardo JV, Faris PL, Hartman BK, Kim SW, Ivanov EH, Daughters RS, Costello PA, Goodale RL: Functional neuroimaging of gastric distention. J Gastrointest Surg 2003;7:740–749.
[PubMed]
25.
Vandenbergh J, Dupont P, Fischler B, Bormans G, Persoons P, Janssens J, Tack J: Regional brain activation during proximal stomach distention in humans: a positron emission tomography study. Gastroenterology 2005;128:564–573.
[PubMed]
26.
Van Oudenhove L, Dupont P, Vandenberghe J, Geeraerts B, van Laere K, Bormans G, Demyttenaere K, Tack J: The role of somatosensory cortical regions in the processing of painful gastric fundic distension: an update of brain imaging findings. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2008;20:479–487.
[PubMed]
27.
Hepper PG, Shahidullah S, White R: Handedness in the human fetus. Neuropsychologia 1991;29:1107–1111.
[PubMed]
You do not currently have access to this content.