Interactive Metronome training in children with attention deficit and developmental coordination disorders
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Published on: March 16, 2015
Sharon M Cosper1, Gregory P Lee, Susan Beth Peters
1Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30912, USA. scosper@mcg.edu
Insights
Interactive Metronome training improved visuomotor control and reaction time in children with attention and motor disorders. However, it did not significantly enhance sustained attention or motor inhibition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often exhibit comorbid motor coordination deficits.
- Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) can co-occur with ADHD, impacting motor skills and attention.
- Interactive Metronome (IM) is a tool designed to improve motor control and attention through auditory-visual feedback.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of Interactive Metronome (IM) training in children with mixed attentional and motor coordination disorders.
- To identify specific subcomponents of attention and motor function influenced by IM training.
- To assess changes in reaction time, visuomotor control, sustained attention, and motor inhibition.
Main Methods:
- Twelve children diagnosed with ADHD and either DCD or PDD participated in the study.
- Participants underwent 15 one-hour sessions of IM training over a 15-week period.
- Pre- and post-treatment assessments included measures of attention, coordination, and motor control.
Main Results:
- Children showed significant improvements in complex visual choice reaction time after IM training.
- Visuomotor control also demonstrated significant enhancement post-training.
- No significant changes were observed in sustained attention or inhibitory control of motor responses.
Conclusions:
- Interactive Metronome training may be beneficial for improving visuomotor control and processing speed in children with combined attention and motor deficits.
- The training appears to have limited impact on sustained attention and the ability to inhibit motor responses.
- Further research is needed to explore the specific mechanisms and optimal application of IM for different neurodevelopmental profiles.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy of Interactive Metronome (Interactive Metronome, Sunrise, Florida, USA) training in a group of children with mixed attentional and motor coordination disorders to further explore which subcomponents of attentional control and motor functioning the training influences. Twelve children who had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in conjunction with either developmental coordination disorder (n=10) or pervasive developmental disorder (n=2), underwent 15 1-h sessions of Interactive Metronome training over a 15-week period. Each child was assessed before and after the treatment using measures of attention, coordination, and motor control to determine the efficacy of training on these cognitive and behavioral realms. As a group, the children made significant improvements in complex visual choice reaction time and visuomotor control after the training. There were, however, no significant changes in sustained attention or inhibitory control over inappropriate motor responses after treatment. These results suggest Interactive Metronome training may address deficits in visuomotor control and speed, but appears to have little effect on sustained attention or motor inhibition.
