In the current study, a team of scientists from the IKN and the Department of Human Genetics investigated whether variations in the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 2B subunit gene (GRIN2B) influence language lateralization and handedness in healthy individuals. In a cohort of 424 genetically unrelated participants a significant association between the synonymous GRIN2B variation rs1806201 and language lateralization assessed using the dichotic listening task, but not handedness, was observed. These findings suggest for the first time that variation in NMDA-receptors contributes to the interindividual variability of language lateralization.

Ocklenburg, S., Arning, L., Hahn, C., Gerding, W.M., Epplen, J.T., Güntürkün, O., Beste, C. (2011). Variation in the NMDA receptor 2B subunit gene GRIN2B is associated with differential language lateralization. Behavioural Brain Research, 225, 284-289.