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Handedness in musicians
R Hering1, T Catarci, T Steiner
1Princess Margaret Migraine Clinic, Charing Cross Hospital, London, England.
Functional Neurology
|January 1, 1995
Summary
This study found that the prevalence of non-right-handedness (left- or mixed-handedness) in professional musicians is similar to the general population. Further research using brain imaging is recommended to analyze cerebral lateralization in musicians.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Music Psychology
Background:
- Handedness and cerebral lateralization are key areas of neuroscience research.
- Previous studies suggest potential differences in handedness among artists, but data on musicians is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of non-right-handedness in professional musicians.
- To compare musician handedness patterns with the general population.
- To explore the need for advanced neuroimaging in understanding musician brain lateralization.
Main Methods:
- Assessed the handedness patterns of 382 professional musicians from 7 orchestras.
- Included a comparative analysis with young music school pupils.
- Proposed brain structural tomographic imaging for future studies.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of non-right-handedness among professional musicians was comparable to that of the general population.
- Similar findings were observed in a cohort of young music school pupils.
- No significant difference in handedness prevalence was detected between musicians and the general population.
Conclusions:
- Musicians do not exhibit a higher prevalence of non-right-handedness compared to the general population.
- Cerebral lateralization in musicians warrants further investigation.
- Brain structural tomographic imaging and analysis of cerebral asymmetry are recommended for a deeper understanding of brain lateralization in musicians.