An Electrophysiological Investigation of Hemispheric Asymmetries in Temporal and Spectral Auditory Processing during Adulthood, Childhood and Across the Autism Spectrum

This research investigated two theories of the roles of the two hemispheres in auditory processing:(1) that the hemispheres process auditory information over different time windows (left=20–40 ms,right=150–250 ms) and (2) that the left hemisphere processes rapid time-based information and the right hemisphere processes fine-grained pitch information. Using electrophysiological and meta-analytic techniques, the current thesis provides support of the first theory in adults, demonstrates earlier development of the right than left hemisphere mechanisms in neurotypical childhood, and suggests that these mechanisms are disrupted in autism and neurotypical adults with higher levels of autistic traits.