Table 1.
Demographic, cognitive and motor characteristics of children in the music, sports, and control groups prior to training.
| Characteristics | Music group n = 25 | Sports group n = 25 | Control group n = 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | 13 F/12 M | 13 F/12 M | 15 F/9 M |
| SESa | 14 LM–/11 M+ | 11 LM/14 M+ | 8 LM/16 M+ |
| Age in years | 8.35 ± 0.31 (7.83–9.00) | 8.29 ± 0.42 (7.75–9.50) | 8.29 ± 0.31 (7.83–8.75) |
| Handednessb | 84.80 ± 29.53 (−35–100) | 83.80 ± 30.25 (−40–100) | 71.25 ± 55.37 (−100–100) |
| Full-scale IQc | 95.44 ± 12.32 (74–113) | 93.60 ± 13.40 (74–120) | 96.29 ± 14.73 (74–125) |
| Verbal IQ | 97.00 ± 14.89 (69–124) | 94.72 ± 11.96 (72–116) | 95.58 ± 13.43 (70–120) |
| Performance IQ | 97.16 ± 11.59 (75–118) | 96.08 ± 13.89 (70–119) | 99.08 ± 15.28 (74–132) |
| Purdue pegboard testd | |||
| Preferred hand | 24.80 ± 3.37 (18–30) | 23.60 ± 3.92 (16–30) | 25.17 ± 3.38 (20–32) |
| Non-preferred hand | 22.64 ± 2.50 (16–26) | 21.92 ± 2.97 (16–28) | 23.08 ± 4.41 (14–32) |
| Both hands | 18.08 ± 3.19 (12–24) | 16.88 ± 3.32 (10–24) | 18.67 ± 3.85 (8–28) |
| Grooved pegboard testd | |||
| Preferred hand | 18.16 ± 3.60 (9–25) | 16.62 ± 3.87 (10–26) | 18.37 ± 3.72 (10–26) |
| Non-preferred hand | 16.78 ± 3.79 (10–25) | 14.57 ± 3.48 (8–22) | 16.36 ± 4.11 (7–24) |
Range in parentheses. aSES as used in the Portuguese public school system: low or middle low (LM−) if children get free or price-reduced school meals, and middle or higher (M+) if no price reduction in school meals; bEdinburgh Handedness Inventory; cWechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – WISC-III, Portuguese version; dpegs/min.