Functional brain organization, handedness, and immune vulnerability in musicians and non-musicians

Author(s): Gupta, D.

Journal/Book: Neuropsychologia. 1993; 31: 655-60.

Abstract: In the current investigation an approach has been made to explore possible relations between musical talent, left-handedness, anomalous dominance for verbal materials, and immune vulnerability. Fifty-one young adult musicians and non-musicians were tested with Wing's Standardized Tests of Musical Intelligence, with a handedness questionnaire, a dichotic listening task, and with a questionnaire assessing asthma/allergies, migraine and myopia. In addition, IgE, Ig total, beta-endorphin, testosterone, and estradiol were measured in blood serum. Musical talent was related to left-handedness and to anomalous dominance; immune vulnerability was found in female musicians, and in subjects with reversed dominance for language functions as well as in male left-handers, independently of musical talent.

Keyword(s): beta Endorphin blood; Adolescence ; Adult ; Estradiol blood; IgE blood; Immunoglobulins blood; Longitudinal Studies; Psychoneuroimmunology ; Risk Factors; Testosterone blood Aptitude physiology; Autoimmune Diseases immunology; Dominance, Cerebral physiology; Hypersensitivity immunology; Laterality physiology; Music Female; Human; Male; Support, Non U.S. Gov't Immunoglobulins; IgE; Estradiol; Testosterone; beta Endorphin

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