慣用手、健康狀況及情緒狀態之相關性研究

Abstract

慣用手行為與遺傳有關的證據與日俱增，而此遺傳基因可能與大腦側化現象有關。大腦側化則可能與頭頂中央髮紋螺旋的方向個數、過敏免疫疾病、情緒狀態以及情感性精神疾患的發生有關。所以慣用手可被視為研究大腦半球側化功能的一個表現型。 本問卷設計在於比較不同的慣用手組別，在「慣用左手的家族成員」，「頭頂中央髮紋螺旋的方向個數」、「被診斷過的、或自行評估的疾病」以及「情緒狀態」是否會有所不同。結構式問卷包括個人基本資料、改編後的「愛丁堡慣用手傾向量表」以及翻譯自英文DASS的情緒自評量表，共三個部分。共收集有效問卷208份，透過改編後的「愛丁堡慣用手傾向量表」，確定慣用手分成「慣用右手者」、「慣用雙手者」及「慣用左手者」三組。三組的基本變項包括年齡、性別、籍貫、教育程度以及職業類別並無差異。DASS共42題，可用來測量自行評估的憂鬱、焦慮與壓力狀態。 結果顯示慣用手的確有家族群聚現象，可以間接證明慣用手與遺傳相關的部分。但是在髮紋螺旋的方向個數、診斷或自評疾病部分均無統計上的差異。情緒量表自評憂鬱、焦慮與壓力平均分數而言，「慣用左手者」雖然都是最高的，但與其它兩組並無顯著的差異。 慣用手、免疫功能與情緒狀態，因為大腦側化機轉建立出相關性，關於此一假說的許多研究結果並不一致。仍然須要更大規模的研究，統合各科別專家學者才有可能全面明瞭大腦側化的機轉。

The contribution of genetics in human handedness has been supported by many studies. One postulation is that a asymmetry gene is critical in the process of cerebral lateralization and the evolution of handedness. Handedness and scalp hair-whorl direction may develop from a common genetic mechanism also affects cerebral lateralization. This cerebral lateralization may also influence immune responses, emotional processes and affective disorders. So the handedness may be regarded as a phenotypical feature of functional cerebral lateralization. The questionnaire study was designed to compare the left-handed families, hair-whorl direction, diseases(medical history and self assessment), and emotional states among handedness group. The structural questionnaire included personnel data, the revised Edinburgh Handedness Inventory, and the Taiwanese adaptation of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS). The questionnaire was completed by 208 subjects. There are no differences of personnel data include age, sex, ethnic origin, education and occupation, among handedness group. Handedness was determined by self-report revised Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Three discrete hand-preference clusters were identified, i.e. right-, mixed- and left-handed group. The DASS is a 42-item self-report instrument to measure the three related negative emotional states of depression, anxiety and tension/stress. However, we found no association between handedness and hair-whorl direction, and immune diseases, but only that handedness had a family cluster phenomenon. The findings indirectly support the genetic influence on human handedness. The depression, anxiety and stress mean scores in left-handed group are all higher than other two groups, but these differences are not significant. To address the hypothesis that degree of cerebral lateralization may be a mediating mechanism of handedness, immunity and emotion status, the empirical findings on this issue are often inconsistent. A large-scale study and integration various disciplines in the search for a comprehensive mechanism of handedness and cerebral lateralization should be considered.