Interactive Metronome

Disclaimer: The following information is compiled by Relationships First and reflects the opinions of Relationships First. It is not our intent to speak for nor represent Interactive Metronome.

Introdution

Interactive Metronome (IM) is a cutting-edge neurological assessment and treatment tool that is redefining traditional expectations for pediatric and adult therapy outcomes. It has been shown, in clinical research, to improve the neurological functions of motor planning and sequencing.

Motor planning and sequencing are core functions of the brain, and they are made possible by precisely timed coordination of the brain’s sensory and motor processing activities. The human brain's efficiency and performance depend on the seamless transition of neuronetwork signals from one area of the brain to another. Findings in a recent study by Neal Alpiner, MD, “Functional MRI Study of the Effects of IM on Auditory-Motor Processing Networks”, suggest that IM works by augmenting internal processing speed within the neuroaxis. The key regions affected appear to include the cerebellum, prefrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus and basal ganglia.

When timing, and therefore motor planning and sequencing, are improved through IM therapy, clinical studies demonstrate that the following capacities are also enhanced:

• Attention and Concentration
• Auditory Processing
• Cognitive Processing
• Motor Control
• Coordination
• Reading and Math Fluency
• Language Processing
• Executive Functions
• Control of Aggression and Impulsivity

Today, over 2,500 Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, Physical Therapists, Educators, Athletic Trainers, Licensed Rehabilitation Medical and Mental Health Professionals Neurologists, Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Chiropractic Care Professionals are enhancing traditional therapy approaches with IM and achieving measurably improved outcomes.

How it Works

The IM program provides a structured, goal-oriented process that challenges the patient to synchronize a range of hand and foot exercises to a precise computer-generated reference tone heard through headphones. The patient attempts to match the rhythmic beat with repetitive motor actions. A patented audio or audio and visual guidance system provides immediate feedback measured in milliseconds, and a score is provided.

Over the course of the treatment, patients learn to:

• Focus and attend for longer periods of time
• Increase physical endurance and stamina
• Filter out internal and external distractions
• Improve ability to monitor mental and physical actions as they are occurring
• Progressively improve performance

Results

Academic Improvement One of the most exciting aspects of IM therapy has been its benefit for students with reading and math fluency problems. In one research study involving 1,500 middle and high school students, the students were each provided 12 one-hour sessions of IM. They were pre- and post-tested using the Woodcock Johnson III standardized reading test. Results showed a Reading Fluency increase of 2.25 years and a Math Fluency increase of 1.7 years. These results have been repeated in other academic research.

ADHD

Another area of IM research holds interest for the many parents who are searching for a non-pharmaceutical, effective therapy for ADHD. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 9 to 12-year-old boys diagnosed with ADHD found that those undergoing IM treatment showed significant patterns of improvement in attention, coordination, motor control, language processing, reading and control of aggression/impulsivity. This study was published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, March 2001. Edward Hallowell, MD, author of Driven To Distraction, and leading clinician and speaker on ADHD said: “The Interactive Metronome is spectacularly helpful. It is one of the most promising developments with non-medication of ADHD that’s come along in a long while…” Gross and Fine Motor Skills

In a study by P.M. Stemmer, “Improving Student Motor Integration by use of an Interactive Metronome,” presented at the 1996 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Association in Chicago, IL, a comparison of a group of special education students who received treatment with IM to a control group showed that the IM group improved significantly in both motor control and motor coordination as evaluated by independent measures (Bruininks-Oseretsky and SIPT Motor Accuracy Test). Parents of the IM group members also reported marked improvement in their children's ability to attend to tasks, read, and write as well as in their general behavior.

Focus, Attention and Motor Planning

IM can also optimize mental efficiency for those who need higher levels of focus and coordination. In a study of 29 student athletes underwent 15 days of IM training. According to IM scores, focus improved 90%, reading fluency (on a standardized assessment) improved 2.03 years, and math fluency improved .99 years. A survey of team performance found that IM training had:

• Improved Team Focus by 45%
• Increased Overall Team Synchronization/Timing by 62%
• Raised Overall Team Execution by 56%
• Decreased Offensive Miscues by 50%

The student athletes also reported multiple benefits from IM training:

“I am in the right place at the right time.”

“I feel I get less mentally tired at practice since we started training.”

“I tend to have a better time of zoning out all that is around me aside from the task at hand.”

“I can adjust to a defense better, especially reading the blitz and calling audibles.”

"I have been able to concentrate more at looking the ball into my hands.”

“My ability on defense to read routes and offensive formations and react to plays has improved greatly.”

“My reading concentration has improved and I now read much faster.”

“I feel my body is more in sync with my mind and it reacts better than prior to IM training.”

The Interactive Metronome (IM) has been subjected to a number of scientific trials beginning in 1995. For a summary of those studies to date, please visit the Interactive Metronome website.