Given the lack of objective evidence of MR's premorbid perceptual musical abilities, the use of a control group was considered necessary. MR's performance on a range of auditory processing tasks was compared to a group of five male control participants matched for age, handedness, education, and musical background, as shown in Table 2.1. Each control was individually tested under conditions similar to MR including assessment in a quiet area of the home environment using identical task instructions and administration.
| Variable | MR Raw Score | Control Participants Mean (Range) |
|---|---|---|
| Age in years | 62 | 61 (57-65) |
| Education (years) | 16 | 16.2 (14-20) |
| Time spent listening to music (hours per week) | 20a | 8.8 (4-20) |
| Past musical experienceb | 3 | 3.8 (3-5) |
a Pre-stroke
b The Survey of Musical Experience (Wilson, 1996) measures theoretical training, instrumental
practice, and performance or compositional experience, resulting in an overall score out of six.