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6 - Language lateralization and handedness in twins; an argument against a genetic basis?

from Section 1 - Asymmetry, handedness and language lateralization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 December 2009

By
Iris E. C. Sommer  and
René S. Kahn
Edited by
Iris E. C. Sommer  and
René S. Kahn
Iris E. C. Sommer
Affiliation:
Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
René S. Kahn
Affiliation:
Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Summary

This chapter discusses several twin-specific factors that could affect handedness in twins and thereby decrease concordance rates in twins. The classical method to determine the genetic contribution to a trait is to compare concordance for that trait between monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins. The chapter also discusses which implications the model of inheritance for handedness has on concordance rates in twins. It investigates the effect of special twin factors, such as perinatal trauma and mirror-imaging on concordance rates in twins. Understanding the role of these factors in twins will help to interpret the results of twins studies and may resolve part of the controversy about genetic aspects of handedness and language lateralization. An explanation for the low concordance for handedness and lateralization in twin pairs could be the presence of a non-genetic factor that affects twins more than singletons.
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Language Lateralization and Psychosis , pp. 87 - 100
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2009

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