Anomalous dominance, immune parameters, and spatial ability.

In a sample of male and female subjects in late adolescence, we investigated the relationship of spatial abilities to anomalous dominance and immune parameters as suggested by Geschwind's model of cerebral lateralization (Geschwind & Galaburda, 1985) In addition to the behavioral markers asthma/allergies, migraine, and myopia, we measured IgE and Ig total in blood serum. Atypical handedness, atypical language dominance, and atypical visuospatial dominance were found to be connected with spatial giftedness, and atypical handedness was related to immune vulnerability in males. This outcome provided some support for the Geschwind model in men. In women, spatial giftedness was related to immune vulnerability, but no indicator of anomalous dominance was connected with either giftedness, or immune parameters. Thus, the central thesis of the Geschwind model, i.e., elevated prenatal testosterone effects on the developing brain cause anomalous dominance and, as side effects, spatial giftedness and immune vulnerability, and all these consequences should be related to each other, was not confirmed by our data for females.