Methods for intramodal and cross-modal investigation of rhythms (temporal patterns) in audition, vision and touch.

An easy and convenient way of instrumental programming and presentation of rhythms (temporal patterns) composed of supershort physical stimulus-markers delimiting empty short and long intervals is described. Patterns are presented by auditory (clicks), visual (flashes), and tactual (mechanical taps) stimulations. Methods for intramodal and cross-modal investigations of rhythm discrimination, as well as rhythm classification (by a structural, "topological" identity matching of patterns) in a "same-different" paradigm are worked out. Methods for investigation of reproduction of homomodal single rhythms perceived auditory, visually or tactually, and of heteromodal (composed of two-modality stimuli) single rhythms are also made up. Finally, a method for bilateral simultaneous perception of two different rhythm patterns via each of the three modalities (dichotically, or through the left and right visual hemi-fields, or through both hands) is described.