An investigation of reading and bimanual tapping ability in adults

This study re-examined the proposed relationship between temporal processing

(as measured by bimanual rhythmic finger tapping) and reading ability in 95 adults.

Participants were administered the Bimanual Tapping Task (BTT), measures of reading

(Word Identification, Word Attack, Passage Comprehension, Reading Fluency, and

Spelling), IQ, phonological processing, rapid naming, and working memory. The BTT

was first used to examine the effect of speed and ratio on three groups (Control n = 59;

Dyslexic (DD) n = 25; Learning Disability and or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder (LD/ADHD) n= 11). The results indicated that the tapping variability at a (1:2)

ratio best discriminated among groups. Regression analyses further showed that tapping

variability explained unique variance in word identification and spelling after controlling

for phonological processing. These results suggest that efficient interhemispheric

communication may facilitate the retrieval of lexical knowledge and thus contribute to

reading ability independently of phonological processing.