Sex- and diagnosis-related differences in nostril dominance may be associated with hemisphere dysfunction in affective disorders

Authors

EROL OZAN
SERAP YILDIRIM
ARZU TATAR
SERPİL CANPOLAT
AHMET BÜLENT YAZICI
SEVDA YÜKSEL
ESRA KILIÇ
ŞENOL DANE

DOI

10.3906/sag-1011-1321

Abstract

To investigate the differences in nostril dominance in affective disordered patients in comparison with healthy subjects. Materials and methods: A total of 26 male and 18 female bipolar I disordered inpatients, 11 male and 15 female unipolar depressed inpatients, and 30 male and 34 female healthy control subjects were evaluated. Nostril dominance was assessed by measuring nostril airflow. Nostril airflow was measured 24 times, at 30-min intervals from 08.00 hours to 20.00 hours. Results: Unipolar depressed patients had significantly more left nostril dominance; bipolar I disordered patients had significantly more right nostril dominance. Both right nostril dominance in bipolar patients and left nostril dominance in unipolar patients were related to female sex. Conclusion: These results suggest that unipolar depression might be associated with left hemisphere dysfunction or hypofunction in females, in terms of the nasal cycle. However, bipolar I disorder might be associated with right hemisphere dysfunction or hypofunction in females, in terms of the nasal cycle.

Keywords

Nasal cycle, nostril dominance, affective disorders, hemisphere dysfunction

First Page

25

Last Page

30

Recommended Citation

OZAN, EROL; YILDIRIM, SERAP; TATAR, ARZU; CANPOLAT, SERPİL; YAZICI, AHMET BÜLENT; YÜKSEL, SEVDA; KILIÇ, ESRA; and DANE, ŞENOL (2012) "Sex- and diagnosis-related differences in nostril dominance may be associated with hemisphere dysfunction in affective disorders," Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences: Vol. 42: No. 1, Article 4. https://doi.org/10.3906/sag-1011-1321
Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/medical/vol42/iss1/4