CONGENITAL ADRENAL-HYPERPLASIA AND CEREBRAL LATERALIZATIONS

Handedness, immunologic disorders, language lateralization, reading fl uency, and visual-motor achievements were assessed in 25 patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia and age-matched right- and left-handed normal controls. An increased rate of left-handedness in the congenit al adrenal hyperplasia group was evident. The prevalence of immunologi c disorders, dichotic listening patterns, and visual-motor/reading ach ievement ratio were more similar to left-handed and significantly diff erent from right-handed controls. Females appeared to be more affected than males in some of the functions. These results partly support the hypothesis of intrauterine androgenic effects on hemispheric function , but not to the extent of a complete lateralization shift.