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A little to the left
SCIENTISTS HAVE uncovered the gene that makes us more likely to be left-handed. Researchers from Oxford University said last night that individuals with the LRRTM1 gene were often left-handers because of the impact it has on the balancing of the brain.
It is the first gene that has ever been discovered to be linked with left or right handedness. The left side of the human brain controls speech and language while the right side handles emotions. However, in left-handers the sides are often swopped around and the Oxford University experts think this is caused by the LRRTM1 gene.
Scientists said they believed that the gene modified the development of the asymmetry of the brain. They also think that individuals with the LRRTM1 gene are more likely to develop schizophrenia. Schizophrenics often have unusual balances of brain asymmetry and handedness. The condition affects around 1 per cent worldwide.
Dr Clyde Francks, who has been leading the investigation, said that researchers were hoping to investigate the impact the LRRTM1 had on the development of the brain. 'We hope this study's findings will help us understand the development of asymmetry in the brain,' he said. 'Asymmetry is a fundamental feature of the human brain that is disrupted in many psychiatric conditions.'
Scientists behind the study led by the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford also said that ape brains were not as asymmetrical and did not display such a distinct preference for a particular hand.
The study leader added that left handers should not be worried by the links between handedness and schizophrenia. 'People really should not be concerned by this result,' he said. 'There are many factors which make individuals more likely to develop schizophrenia and the vast majority of left-handers will never develop a problem. We don't yet know the precise role of this gene.'
The study, which involved more than 40 scientists from 20 research centres worldwide, is published by the journal, Molecular Psychiatry.
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