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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.