Incidences of asymmetries for the palmar grasp reflex in neonates and hand preference in adults

It was hypothesized that adult handedness might be predicted from the neonatal grasp reflex. Grasp reflex was measured from right and left hand (10 trials for each hand) in neonates. According to significance for the difference between the mean grasp reflex strength from the right and left hands, the subjects were designated as right-, left-, and mixed-handers. Adult hand preference was assessed by Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. The percentage of left-handedness (8.3%) in neonates coincided with adult left-handedness (6.3-9.2%). The percentage of consistent right-hand preference in adults coincided with percentage of right-handedness in neonates (25.7%). The high percentage of neonatal mixed-handedness was similar to that to be expected from the right shift model of hand preference. It was concluded that left-handedness and consistent right- handedness may be determined prenatally, under genetic and/or hormonal control, and that a large majority of neonatal handedness, mixed-handers, might change their hand preference in favor of right-handedness under socio-cultural and developmental influences of speech centres

Testosterone and grasp-reflex differences in human neonates

According to the Geschwind-Behan-Galaburda (GBG) hypothesis, prenatal testosterone (T) causes a slowing in the development of the left brain with a consequent compensatory growth in the right brain, creating a reverse organisation of the cerebral lateralisation. That is, left- and right-handedness might be associated with high and low prenatal T levels, respectively. To test this hypothesis, the relations of T levels (umbilical cord blood) to grasp-reflex strengths were studied in human neonates. Handedness was assessed by measuring the grasp-reflex strengths from the right and left hands in 10 trials from each hand alternatively. There were two handedness groups: right-handers (R-L significantly greater than zero) and left-handers (significantly smaller than zero). Contrary to the GBG model, the mean free T concentration was found to be significantly higher in right-handers than left-handers for males and females. There was no significant difference in the total T levels between right- and left-handers. Free T concentrations positively correlated with R-L grasp-reflex strengths, i.e. right-handedness increased as T increased, and left-handedness increased as T decreased. Contrary to these positive correlations, T negatively correlated with the grasp-reflex strengths from the right and left hands. These results partly supported the GBG hypothesis for this spinal-motor-asymmetry model. Total T did not significantly correlate with grasp-reflex strengths. The results suggest that prenatal T may at least play a role in prenatal determination of spinal motor lateralisation, with a possible consequent upward regulation of cerebral lateralisation

UNERTAN SYNDROME: A CASE SERIES DEMONSTRATING HUMAN DEVOLUTION

A large family with six individuals exhibiting the Unertan syndrome (UTS)was identified residing in southern Turkey. All of the individuals had mental impairments and walked on all four extremities. The practice of intra-familial\ud marriages suggested that theUTS may be an autosomal recessive disorder, similar to previously described cases. The inferior portions of the cerebellum and vermis were\ud absent as evidenced by MRI and CT scans. The height and head circumference of those affected were within normal ranges. Barany’s test suggested normal vestibular\ud system function. The subjects could not name objects or their close relatives. The males (n = 4) could understand simple questions and commands, but answered questions with only one or two sounds. The females (n = 2) were superior to\ud the males with respect to language skills and walking, suggesting an association between walking and speaking abilities. One male exhibited three walking patterns\ud at the same time: quadripedal, tiptoe, and scissor walking. Another male used two walking styles: quadripedal and toe-walking. It is emphasized that there are important differences between the UTS and the disequilibrium syndrome. It is suggested that the inability to walk upright in those affected with the UTS may be\ud best explained by a disturbance in lateral-balance mechanisms,without being related to the cerebello-vestibular system.An interruption of locomotor development during the transition from quadripedality to bipedality may result in habitual walking on all four extremities and is normal in some children. Because quadripedal\ud gait is an ancestral trait, individuals with the UTS, exhibiting a manifestation of reverse evolution in humans, may be considered an experiment of nature, useful\ud in understanding the mechanisms underlying the transition from quadripedality to bipedality during human evolution. The proposed mutant gene or gene pool playing\ud a role in human quadrupedality may also be responsible for human bipedality at the same time. Herein there is no intent to insult or injure; rather, this report is an\ud endeavor to better understand human beings. Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher’s online edition of International Journal of\ud Neuroscience for the following free supplemental resource(s): video clips

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Brain Size/IQ Relations in Turkish University Students

The relation of IQ (Cattell's Culture Fair Intelligence Test) to brain size was studied in 103 right- and left-handed men and women at Ataturk University in eastern Turkey. Cerebral areas were measured on a midsagittal section of the brain using MRI. An overall correlation of 40 was found between MRI-measured total area and IQ thereby further supporting the IQ¯brain size hypothesis. Additional analyses suggested that these results may need qualification. In men, only anterior cerebral area correlated with IQ. In women, total and posterior cerebral areas were correlated with IQ. Other results varied by handedness

Üner Tan Syndrome: Review and Emergence of Human Quadrupedalism in Self-Organization,\ud Attractors and Evolutionary Perspectives\ud

The first man reported in the world literature exhibiting habitual quadrupedal locomotion was discovered by a British traveler and writer on the famous Baghdat road near Havsa/Samsun on the middle Black-Sea coast of Turkey (Childs, 1917). Interestingly, no single case with human quadrupedalism was reported in the scientific literature after Child's first description in 1917 until the first report on the Uner Tan syndrome (UTS: quadrupedalism, mental retardation, and impaired speech or no speech)in 2005 (Tan, 2005, 2006). Between 2005 and 2010, 10 families exhibiting the syndrome were discovered in Turkey with 33 cases: 14 women (42.4%) and 19 men (57.6%). Including a few cases from other countries, there were 25 men (64.1%)and 14 women (35.9%). The number of men significantly exceeded the number of women (p < .05). Genetics alone did not seem to be informative for the origins of many syndromes, including the Uner Tan syndrome. From the viewpoint of dynamical systems theory, there may not be a single factor including the neural and/or genetic codes that predetermines the emergence of the human quadrupedalism.Rather, it may involve a self-organization process, consisting of many decentralized and local interactions among neuronal, genetic, and environmental subsystems. The most remarkable characteristic of the UTS, the diagonal-sequence quadrupedalism is well developed in primates. The evolutionarily advantage of this gait is not known. However, there seems to be an evolutionarily advantage of this type of locomotion for primate evolution, with regard to the emergence of complex neural circuits with related highly complex structures. Namely, only primates with diagonal-sequence quadrupedal locomotion followed an evolution favoring larger brains, highly developed cognitive abilities with hand skills, and language, with erect posture and bipedal locomotion, creating the unity of human being. It was suggested that UTS may be considered a further example for Darwinian diseases, which may be associated with an evolutionary understanding of the disorders using evolutionary principles, such as the natural selection. On the other hand, the human quadrupedalism was proposed to be a phenotypic example of evolution of reverse, i.e., the reacquisition by derived populations of the same character states as those of ancestor populations. It was also suggested that the emergence of the human quadrupedalism may be related to self-organizing processes occurring in complex systems, which select or attract one preferred behavioral state or locomotor trait out of many possible attractor states. Concerning the locomotor patterns, the dynamical systems in brain and body of the developing child may prefer some kind of locomotion, according to interactions of the internal components and the environmental conditions, without a direct role of any causative factor(s), such as genetic or neural codes, consistent with the concept of self-organization, suggesting no single element may have a causal priority

UNERTAN SYNDROME: A CASE SERIES DEMONSTRTAING HUMAN DEVOLUTION

A large family with six individuals exhibiting the Unertan syndrome (UTS) was identified residing in southern Turkey. All of the individuals had mental impairments and walked on all four extremities. The intra-familial marriages suggested that the UTS is an autosomal recessive disorder. The inferior portions of the cerebellum and vermis were absent as evidenced by MRI and CT scans. The height and head circumference of those affected were within normal ranges. Barany’s test suggested normal vestibular system function. The subjects could not name objects or their close relatives. The males (n = 4) could understand simple questions, answering them with only one or two sounds. The females (n = 2) were superior to the males with respect to language skills and walking, suggesting an association between walking and speaking abilities. One male exhibited three walking patterns at the same time: quadripedal, tiptoe, and scissor walking. Another male used two walking styles: quadripedal and toe-walking. It is emphasized that there are important differences between the UTS and the disequilibrium syndrome (DES). It is suggested that the inability to walk upright in those affected with the UTS may be best explained by a disturbance in lateral-balance mechanisms. An interruption of locomotor development during the transition from quadripedality to bipedality may result in habitual walking on all four extremities and is normal in some children. Since quadripedal gait is an ancestral trait, individuals with the UTS, exhibiting a manifestation of reverse evolution in humans, may be considered an experiment of nature, useful in understanding the mechanisms underlying the transition from quadripedality to bipedality during human evolution. The proposed mutant gene or gene pool playing a role in human quadrupedality may also be responsible for human bipedality at the same time. Herein there is no intent to insult or injure, rather this report is an endeavor to better understand human beings

Woman with Sickle Cell Disease with Current Sigmoid Sinus Thrombosis and History of Inadequate Warfarin Use during a Past Thrombotic Event

We report a 20-year-old woman with sickle cell disease (SCD) who presented with a severe pulsating headache, nausea, and vomiting. Her history was significant for a past thrombotic event during which she had not used anticoagulation therapy as prescribed. Her mental status was mildly confused. On funduscopic examination, papilledema and retinal hemorrhages were found. Results of a computed tomogram were normal. A lumbar puncture demonstrated increased intracranial pressure (60 cm H2O). Magnetic resonance venography demonstrated a right sigmoid sinus thrombosis. Although SCD has been reported as a cause of thrombotic dural venous sinus events, this case increases the knowledge about neurological complications of SCD. The patient was treated with low molecular weight heparin, blood transfusions, acetazolamide, and methylprednisolone, and her symptoms and signs resolved