Hemispheric specialisation for self-paced motor sequences

Temporal aspects of motor control were investigated in patients with infarc tion to the brain with two finger-tapping tests. In the self-paced tapping task patients with cortical left-hemispheric lesions were slowed down and p atients with left-hemispheric subcortical injuries were consistently faster as compared with control subjects and patients with right hemispheric cort ical lesions. The results point to the dominant control of the left-hemisph ere in voluntarily timed action and to a special time range of 250-300 ms i nvolved in motor behaviour. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser ved.