ians. Neuropsychologia ,33:1047-55.
Abstract: Using in-vivo magnetic resonance morphometry it was
investigated whether the midsagittal area of the corpus callosum
(CC) would differ between 30 professional musicians and 30 age-,
sex- and handedness-matched controls. Our analyses revealed that
the anterior half of the CC was significantly larger in musicians.
This difference was due to the larger anterior CC in the subgroup
of musicians who had begun musical training before the age
of 7. Since anatomic studies have provided evidence for a positive
correlation between midsagittal callosal size and the number of
fibers crossing through the CC, these data indicate a difference
in interhemispheric communication and possibly in hemispheric
(a) symmetry of sensorimotor areas. Our results are also compatible
with plastic changes of components of the CC during a maturation
period within the first decade of human life, similar to those
observed in animal studies.
Thaut, M.H., McIntosh, G.C., Rice, R.R., Miller, R.A., Rathbun, J. and Brault, J.M. (1996). Rhythmic auditory stimulation in gait training for Parkinson's disease patients. Movement Disorders,, 11:193-200.
Abstract: Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) was used as a pacemaker
during a 3-week home-based gait-training program for Parkinson's
disease (PD) patients (n = 15). Electromyogram (EMG) patterns
and stride parameters were assessed before and after the test
without RAS to evaluate changes in gait patterns. Data were compared
with those of two control groups (n = 11), who either did not
participate in any gait training or who participated in an internally
self-paced training program. RAS consisted of audiotapes with
metronome-pulse patterns embedded into the on/off beat structure
of rhythmically accentuated instrumental music. Patients who trained
with RAS significantly (p < 0.05) improved their gait velocity
by 25%, stride length by 12%, and step cadence by 10% more than
self-paced subjects who improved their velocity by 7% and no-training
subjects whose velocity decreased by 7%. In the RAS-group, timing
of EMG patterns changed significantly (p < 0.05) in the anterior
tibialis and vastus lateralis muscles. Evidence for rhythmic entrainment
of gait patterns was shown by the ability of the RAS group to
reproduce the speed of the last training tape within a 2% margin
of error without RAS.
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