Becker JT, Kingsley L, Bass S, Satz P, Dew MA, Penkower L, Selnes O, Sheridan K; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1989 Jun 4-9; 5: 388 (abstract no. W.B.P.221).
Depts. Psychiatry, Neurology & Epidemiology, Univ. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationships between handedness and immune system function in gay/bisexual men. Two hypotheses were tested: 1) gay/bisexual men are more likely to be left-handed; 2) left-handers are more likely to show impaired immune function. METHODS: Sixteen hundred and five MACS participants completed a five-item version of the Edinburgh handedness inventory as part of a study of the neuropsychiatric manifestations of HIV-1 infection. RESULTS: Among HIV-1 seronegative men there was a doubling of the rate of exclusive left handedness (6.7% vs. 3.1%), a decrease in exclusive right-handedness (58.3% vs. 62.0%), and no difference in the rates of self-reported mixed handedness (34.9% for both samples) when compared to males in the general population (General Cincinnati Survey). This difference was significant (p .001), although the effect size was small (phi=.12). Handedness was not associated with either prevalent or incident HIV-1 serostatus. Neither were left-handers more likely to develop either AIDS or severe depletion of CD4 cells (200) than other men. CONCLUSIONS: These data replicate earlier findings of increased left-handedness among gay/bisexual men; however, there was a lack of association between handedness and immune system function. Thus, while there may be a small increase in left-handedness among gay men, the basis for this increase is not known, and handedness has no impact on clinical illness.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Bisexuality
- Functional Laterality
- HIV Infections
- HIV-1
- Homosexuality
- Homosexuality, Male
- Humans
- Male
- Multicenter Study
- epidemiology
- physiology
Other ID:
UI: 102177853
From Meeting Abstracts