The seashore rhythm test and brain functions

Abstract

The neuropsychological literature contains many statements about the brain correlates of the Seashore Rhythm Test, with the prevailing contention being that the test is principally dependent upon the integrity of the right temporal lobe. However, the only published empirical investigation that we could find (Milner, 1962) reported no significant differences between groups with right and left temporal-lobe excisions. In the present study we compared a number of groups with right, left, and generalized cerebral lesions, varying with regard to type of lesion, and found no differences among them on the Seashore Rhythm Test. Age and gender differences did not approach statistical significance. However, control subjects performed much better than did brain-damaged subjects. Our results indicate that the Seashore Rhythm Test is a general indicator of brain functions.