Impact of musical experience on the Seashore Rhythm Test.

The Seashore Rhythm Test (SRT) is sensitive to musical talent. The possibility that this reduces its clinical sensitivity in cognitively impaired persons with musical experience was investigated. Subjects were 101 referrals to the neuropsychology service of a large medical center. The results indicate that patients with a substantial amount of musical experience tend to perform normally on the SRT, even when overall performance on a neuropsychological test battery suggests cognitive impairment. This finding suggests caution in interpreting normal SRT results in those with a musical background.