spar0010">We aim to introduce the Battery for the Assessment of Auditory Sensorimotor and Timing Abilities (BAASTA), a new tool for the sytematic assessment of rhythm perception and auditory-motor synchronization skills. Preliminary results in Parkinson's disease, ADHD as well as in the general population are presented.
spar0015">The battery includes a large array of perceptual and sensorimotor tasks. Perceptual tasks include the comparision of two durations, the discrimination between regular and irregular metronome or musical sequences and judging if a tone is aligned with the beat of music. Sensorimotor tasks include unpaced tapping and paced tapping with metronome and music.
spar0020">The BAASTA highlighted improvements in timing abilities after a musically cued gait training in patients with Parkinson's disease. The battery also described the timing impairments in ADHD. Furthermore, the BAASTA helped to characterize individual differences in the general population (e.g. musicians vs. non-musicians).
spar0025">BAASTA is sensitive for the characterization of individual differences within a population in terms of sensorimotor and perceptual timing skills. Given the existing links between timing skills, motor control and cognition, its use could help develop an individualized approach to rehabilitation of motor abilities and cognition in a variety of disorders.