HAND SKILL ASYMMETRY IN PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS

Hand skill asymmetry on two handedness tasks was examined in consisten t right-handed musicians and nonmusicians as well as mixed-handed and consistent left-handed nonmusicians. Musicians. although demonstrating right-hand superiority, revealed a lesser degree of hand skill asymme try than consistent right-handed nonmusicians. Increased left-hand ski ll in musicians accounted fur their reduced asymmetry. Musicians predo minantly playing keyboard instruments demonstrated superior tapping pe rformance than musicians playing predominantly string instruments, alt hough they did not differ with respect to hand skill asymmetry. Since the diminished tapping asymmetry in musicians was related to early com mencement but not duration of musical training, results are interprete d as an adaptation process due to performance requirements interacting with cerebral maturation during childhood. (C) 1997 Academic Press.