IM Featured in the “Let’s Talk” Podcast – Featuring IM Provider Sue Zapf

Our providers are truly passionate about helping their clients and utilizing Interactive Metronome. Take a moment to check out Sue Zapf, an IM provider who was recently featured on the "Let's Talk" Podcast. She shares valuable insights about using IM, particularly for individuals facing learning challenges. 
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The Science Behind IM

Meet May’s Provider of the Month: Amy Vega, MS, CCC-SLP

Amy Vega, MS, CCC-SLP received her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Florida in 1994 and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competency from the American Speech Language & Hearing Association. In clinical practice, she specialized in adolescent and adult rehabilitation for patients diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, stroke, epilepsy, brain tumor and other disease processes that affect communication, cognition and behavior. She currently serves as Director of both the Clinical Education Department and the Clinical Advisory Board for Interactive Metronome, Inc. and is their Continuing Education Administrator. She provides clinical support to Interactive Metronome Providers globally, serves as Editor in Chief for IM’s clinical publications, develops IM certification & training materials and is the master-trainer for IM certification instructors.

Interactive Metronome & ALS: It’s About Quality of Life

Prior to IM training, he had lost his ability to fully extend his fingers on both hands. After performing the customized IM exercises for finger extension with Robyn for about2 1/2 months, Larry regained the ability to fully extend the fingers on his right hand and partially extend the fingers on his left hand….In Larry’s own words, “I firmly believe that Interactive Metronome® therapy has played a large part in stalling the progression of ALS and believe it should be a frontline defense therapy for early diagnosed patients.”

Special Report: The Interactive Metronome (IM) and ADHD

National Time Management Month is celebrated during February each year. February is the perfect month to focus on time management skills with your clients. Time management is not as complex or difficult as it seems. When children learn time management early in life, they tend to do so for the rest of their lives. Time management in students helps them achieve their academic and recreational goals. It also teaches them to be independent and productive.

Children diagnosed with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have difficulty staying on task and staying organized, all of which can make time management challenging. This is because of the way the brain tends to process things when a person is living with ADHD.

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Understanding the Forbrain® Effect

We perceive sound via the audio-vocal loop. Then, we analyze it, assimilate it, and continuously adjust in response to it. This process relies upon auditory discrimination, phonological awareness, and rhythm. Forbrain®, an altered auditory feedback (AAF) device, takes advantage of this audio-vocal loop & heightens a user’s perception of his own voice & speech through bone conduction headphones that are equipped with a high sensitivity microphone. As the user talks into the microphone, a patented electronic dynamic filter blocks out environmental noise & amplifies the user’s voice, enhancing long vowels and other sounds that are the building blocks of language.

Use of the Interactive Metronome in the Rehab Setting

Prior research utilizing kinematic analysis & functional MRI have shown that Interactive Metronome (IM) training facilitates measurable and statistically significant improvements in golf shot accuracy (distance to the pin) and substantial improvement in performance consistency (Sommer &  Rönnqvist, 2009;  Sommer et al., 2014).  In the present study, 20 professional female golfers from the KLPGA participated in a randomized, controlled study comparing the effect of IM training (35-40 min, twice weekly for 6 weeks) to spending more time playing the game of golf (increasing golf playing time by an additional 35-40 min twice weekly for 6 weeks).  The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of IM on swing speed during putting, which was specifically executed at a distance of 2-5m, which has been previously determined to set apart elite golfers who achieve a par or birdie compared to those that demonstrate only about a 10% success rate (Pelz, 2000). Golf putting movements and brain activity were analyzed using Kinovea Software and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI). Performance variability (or consistency) was measured as the standard deviation of mean swing speed (SSD) during 3 sections of the swing: backswing, backswing-impact, and impact-finish.

New Reseach! Published in Human Movement Science!

Prior research utilizing kinematic analysis & functional MRI have shown that Interactive Metronome (IM) training facilitates measurable and statistically significant improvements in golf shot accuracy (distance to the pin) and substantial improvement in performance consistency (Sommer &  Rönnqvist, 2009;  Sommer et al., 2014).  In the present study, 20 professional female golfers from the KLPGA participated in a randomized, controlled study comparing the effect of IM training (35-40 min, twice weekly for 6 weeks) to spending more time playing the game of golf (increasing golf playing time by an additional 35-40 min twice weekly for 6 weeks).  The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of IM on swing speed during putting, which was specifically executed at a distance of 2-5m, which has been previously determined to set apart elite golfers who achieve a par or birdie compared to those that demonstrate only about a 10% success rate (Pelz, 2000). Golf putting movements and brain activity were analyzed using Kinovea Software and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI). Performance variability (or consistency) was measured as the standard deviation of mean swing speed (SSD) during 3 sections of the swing: backswing, backswing-impact, and impact-finish.