> In article <57qo7i$sol at news.stlnet.com>, Ev <*evan at stlnet.com*> wrote:
> :Ian Walker wrote:
> :> fascinating study I read recently which found that the corpus callosum
> :> (the main bundle of connections between the two hemispheres) was thicker
> :> and better-connected in musicians than in controls, but only if they had
> :> started learning their instrument before the age of 7. Interesting, eh?
> :maybe kids that pursue music that early are because they have a bigger
> :corpus callosum,women have bigger corpus callosums,so does that mean
> :they are better musicians?
It might be worth mentioning that us sinister types also have a larger
corpus callosum (Witelson, 1985). Does that mean I'm a better musician as
well? Wait 'till I tell my old long-suffering piano teacher.
Actually, there's an obvious explanation for the larger size in the case
of lefties. It may develop as a result of the greater traffic between the
hemispheres, as motor control of the left hand is in the right hemisphere
while the speech centre is (most often) in the left. In right-handers,
both motor control and speech centre are in the same hemisphere.
I recall that music is a right-hemisphere function (whatever that means)
but it's unclear to me why that would predict greater cross-hemisphere
traffic as in the case of left-handers. Perhaps the Neuropsychologia study
which started all of this has the answer. I guess I'd better drop a note
to my friendly interlibrary loan service.
Reference
Witelson, S. (1985). The brain connction: the corpus callosum is larger
in left-handers. Science, 229, 665-668.
-Stephen
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Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661
Bishop's University e-mail: sblack at ubishops.ca
Lennoxville, Quebec
J1M 1A9
Canada
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