By Scott Barry Kaufman | April 15, 2015

One minute we’re being told that brain training makes you smarter, and the next minute we’re told it’s all bogus. Confused? I don’t blame you. The research literature on brain training is confusing and even sometimes contradictory. This is the way of science. I believe, however, that there is hope in making sense of things if the field and the media can move beyond broad conclusions to look at more nuanced effects.

In his recent New Yorker piece, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Gareth Cook concluded that working memory training will not make you smarter. According to Gareth, “Playing the games makes you better at the game, in other words, but not at anything anyone might care about in real life.” But is this really the most informative conclusion we can draw from the data?

When she was just 15, Meg was involved in a devastating car accident where she sustained a traumatic brain injury. With shortened school days and impaired performance defining her new reality, Meg felt desperate to find a way to reclaim the life she once knew and to help others in her situation, leading her to begin a career as a physical therapy assistant at the very same clinic she completed her rehabilitation.  After just a week of treatment her movements developed fluidity and by the second week her ability to concentrate on the tone dramatically improved. Meg’s sense of balance and physical coordination returned to her by her sixth session. At 21 years old, Meg has done more than simply achieve her goal of regaining the life she thought she lost in her car accident- she’s been able to create a fuller, more satisfying life, one in which she helps others achieve the freedom of thought and movement she feared she lost forever.

It’s a weekday afternoon at the Camarillo Boys & Girls Club and about a dozen children ages 5 to 8 enter the computer room. Each puts on headphones, straps a round plastic button to one hand and starts clapping.

Most of these children are struggling in school, and some have learning disabilities such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder.

They are participating in a three- to four-week pilot program called Hardy Brain Camp, a unique form of therapy designed to help the young pupils focus and succeed in school.

The computer plays a metronome beat in the headphones, and the children try to clap with the sound. The computer records how many times they succeed, get close, or miss the beat. As they improve their accuracy, the sessions become harder.

Meet our March Provider of the Month Tom Burkard founder and creator of IMprove Japan. Tom began his journey with IM in 2004 when he traveled from Japan to Hawaii with his 11 year old son who has ADHD for IM training. Find out of how IM helped Tom's son and many other lives overseas!

A new system for treating ADHD symptoms and other types of learning challenges isn't only drug free-- but brings new meaning to the term 'timing is everything.'

It's not the latest video game to hit big. This is 25 year old Malachi Wristen participating in a classic session with the Interactive Metronome treatment.

 For older adults looking to sharpen their mental abilities, it might be time to log on to Facebook.

Preliminary research findings from the University of Arizona suggest that men and women older than 65 who learn to use Facebook could see a boost in cognitive function.  

Medicare provides sporadic home health care for Larry Tilson of Tarpon Springs, who has Lou Gehrig’s disease. To get the therapy he says helps with his chronic illness, he must first suffer a medical crisis, such as falling or breaking a bone.

Meet Lisa Poe from A Focused Brain in Mississippi, the February IM Provider of the Month. Lisa is an occupational therapist and has been an IM Provider since 2009 and an IM instructor since 2010. 

Find out what makes her such a great IM Provider and how she makes the most out of IM in her clinic!

We want to say thank you to everyone that attended this year's IM Professional Conference. We had a great turn out and received RAVE reviews. This truly couldn't have been done without your support, so like we said in the opening remarks, give yourself a pat on the back and a round of applause! 

Lights, camera, action! We want to make you the movie star in your very own IM Video clip!

You will have the opportunity to make your own commercial at the IM Professional Conference in San Antonio this October 26-28!  With websites, YouTube and social media sites it’s imperative to get yourself on the digital stream. We know that a production studio is expensive and creating your own video can come out like a Blair Witch production, so let the pros do it for you! 

 By Hannah Guzik 

Special to The Star 

Posted August 23, 2012 at 4:05 p.m.

By Daisy Lin and Bruce Hensel |  Thursday, Aug 23, 2012  

A Camarillo-based organization is using Interactive Metronome to help improve brain timing.

Children as young as 4 years old are being allowed to take drugs for ADHD and other behavioral problems. But some parents, like the Solomons, were desperate to find a drug-free alternative for their son, Adam. They turned to a new drug-free way to treat ADHD that uses a game-like therapy called Interactive Metronome. Dr. Bruce Hensel reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2012.

You’ve heard about him, you’ve read his blog posts, and now you can meet him in person at the IM Professional Conference 2012 in San Antonio, TX October 26-28!

…drum roll…Dr. Kevin McGrew A.K.A. The Time Doc²

Dr. McGrew will be the Keynote speaker for the Conference and we excited to have him lead the conference with the Presentation: 

I think...therefore IM

The "why" of the cognitive benefits of IM training (e.g., controlled attention; selective on-demand focus; quieting the busy mind; increased neural or brain efficiency) will be placed in the context of contemporary cognitive neuroscience research and theory.

You won't want to miss meeting Kevin and our other instructors at the conference!

Register before 9/15 and receive the Early Bird Discount!

When Fred Davis lost both of his legs to infection --he thought his walking days were over.Then he was introduced to a therapy that combines movement and timing to help the brain redevelop motor skills. It’s called Interactive Metronome. For six months, Mederi Caretender therapist Tameka Walker has been helping Davis relearn to walk. "Left hand, right toe, left hand, right toe. Got it?” she instructs. To the chime of a cowbell, Davis steps one foot forward on a mat – and then pulls it back. Then, it’s the other foot, always sticking to the beat. If his rhythm is off, he hears an unpleasant buzz. Davis suffers from diabetes. In 2005 -- he injured his toe. The untreated injury led to gangrene and an eventual amputation. In February of this year, another injury led to the loss of his right leg.

Check out the Time Docs Blog post on the Aurora Shooting as it relates to a victim who suffered a brain injury