Subjective time estimation in relation to age, health, and interhemispheric brain asymmetry

The subjective estimation of time was studied in the population sample of 256 subjects aged 20 to 80 years. Among the elderly, a group of patients with cerebral atherosclerosis and a group of apparently healthy persons were selected. The study also involved 48 patients with remaining manifestations of right- and left-sided stroke. The unoccupied time interval and the interval occupied with performance of verbal tasks were estimated. In both cases, interval durations were 45 s. There was an underestimation of the unoccupied interval in the young group and it was overestimated by the elderly group. With the performance of verbal tasks, the age differences were insignificant. Occupied interval vs unoccupied interval was underestimated to a greater degree. No sex differences were noted. Time estimation in cerebral atherosclerosis without focal disturbances was analogous to the pattern being observed in aging. In left-sided stroke, underestimation of time and estimation accuracy exceeded similar indices in other groups. The relationship was established of the subjective time estimation with non-verbal intellect and several characteristics of brain asymmetry, but not with handedness.