Lekovic Gregory P, Baker Brenda, Lekovic Jill M, Preul Mark C
Division of Neurological Surgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona 85013, USA.
Neurosurgery. 2007 Jun;60(6):1137-46; discussion 1146-7. doi: 10.1227/01.NEU.0000255462.99516.B0.
Throughout history, prehistoric and even some contemporary civilizations have practiced various forms of intentional and unintentional cranial deformation. Plagiocephaly can be the result of craniosynostosis, infant positioning, or other unintentional or intentional deformation.
We reviewed the medical and anthropological literature and the anthropological collections of Arizona State University and the San Diego Museum of Man for evidence of cranial deformation and its possible physiological and cognitive side effects. Evidence of cranial shaping was also sought among art or stone work from representative cultures.
The anthropological record and literature attest to the presence of much more severe forms of deformation than that seen as a result of contemporary infant positioning. Despite this evidence, there is no anthropological evidence as to the possible cognitive effects that such deformation may have, although some evidence is reviewed that suggests a possible physiological mechanism for the same.
Because we can only view these cultures through the relics of time, any conclusions one might draw from the anthropological and historical record regarding the cognitive effects of head deformation can only be inferred through generalized observations and are tenuous. Nevertheless, there does not seem to be any evidence of negative effect on the societies that have practiced even very severe forms of intentional cranial deformation (e.g., the Olmec and Maya). On the other hand, the physical anthropology and the contemporary developmental literature suggest possible mechanisms for such an effect.
纵观历史，史前乃至一些当代文明都曾施行过各种形式的有意和无意的颅骨变形。斜头畸形可能是颅缝早闭、婴儿体位或其他无意或有意变形的结果。
我们查阅了医学和人类学文献以及亚利桑那州立大学和圣地亚哥人类博物馆的人类学藏品，以寻找颅骨变形及其可能的生理和认知副作用的证据。我们还在代表性文化的艺术或石雕作品中寻找颅骨塑形的证据。
人类学记录和文献证明，存在比当代婴儿体位导致的变形更为严重的变形形式。尽管有这些证据，但关于这种变形可能产生的认知影响，尚无人类学证据，不过我们查阅了一些证据，这些证据表明存在一种可能的生理机制。
由于我们只能通过时间的遗迹来审视这些文化，因此，人们从人类学和历史记录中得出的关于头部变形认知影响的任何结论，都只能通过一般性观察来推断，且是不确定的。然而，似乎没有任何证据表明，即使是施行过非常严重形式的有意颅骨变形的社会（如奥尔梅克人和玛雅人）受到了负面影响。另一方面，体质人类学和当代发育文献表明了产生这种影响的可能机制。
