There
is growing understanding that motor planning and sequencing is one of the
most significant processing capacities that underlie a broad spectrum of
mental and physical impairments and endowments.
Everything the human brain does requires very precise natural timing. These unconscious capabilities are critical to our brain’s ability to plan and sequence thoughts and actions and connect them to their consequences. Thus “natural timing” is an important foundation of our ability to attend, learn, process information, and physically execute actions.
Until recently, interventions to strengthen motor planning and sequencing capacities have been limited to working with overt or surface behaviors in therapeutic or educational settings. The patented Interactive Metronome (IM) system, which is the result of more than 10 years of research and development, is the only intervention to systematically use guidance sounds and repetitive physical motion exercises to help trainees improve their underlying motor planning and sequencing ability. The IM computer program and special sounds systematically guide the trainee through a learning process. IM trainees progressively learn to:
• Recognize
that there is a repeating pattern to the reference tone (an external sequencing
pattern);
• Use the guide sounds to synchronize (plan and sequence) their physical
motions to align with the external beat pattern;
• Recognize when their actions are deviating from the external reference
tone pattern;
• Recognize and correct their timing and focus-related habits and tendencies;
• Focus on one task without being interrupted by their surroundings or
by their internal thoughts
• Progressively improve their ability to monitor their mental and physical
actions as they are occurring;
• Minimize the degree of their planning and sequencing deviations;
• Make corrections more rapidly;
• More quickly and accurately learn and create new planned sequences.
Current theory supported by fMRI bran imaging, s that IM training substantially affects the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, basal ganglia and the cingulate gyrus. These structures are recognized as being central to effective and efficient information processing. It also appears to improve the efficiency of the synapses in transmitting information. The overall effect of IM training is to improve the performance of the human neural network, which is fundamental for all basic and high-level functional performance.
This training impacts three key aspects of human functioning.
The first of these aspects is timing and rhythmicity, which consist of:
The second key aspect impacted by IM training is mental processing, which involves:
The third key aspect of functioning impacted by IM training is focus and concentration involving: