Leveling UpVideo Games and Your

Brain

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL0000000

0

In this innovative new ebook, our hero will plunge deep into a world of neurological secrets. Only by spreading the power of timing and rhythm can this brave warrior hope to save his homeland! Some of the benefits of Neurotiming® may be surprising and life changing. Read on to find out how video games can help everything from mood disorders to attention problems to pain management. Yep, you heard right...pain management! So, does our hero accept the challenge? To the castle, the princess awaits!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Level

GAME ON:The cost of video games ......1

CHILDREN:Born to game .................3

ALL GROWN UP:A nation of gamers ...........5

YOUR BRAIN:It’s time for a change .......9

GAME OVER:Dramatic conclusion ......... 11

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL

GAME ON the cost of video games

What is bright and colorful, action-packed, and taking up most of your child’s free time? For many, the answer is simple…video games. People love video games, and that lasting relationship tends to begin as a child. The marketing research company estimated that consumers spent an estimated $24 billion on video game entertainment in 2013 (up from $21 billion in 2012), which included digital content, mobile apps, add-ons, etc.

It isn’t just dollars spent. Some of these games are becoming the single biggest time sink for children. In fact, it is estimated that a gamer will rack up almost 10,000 hours of game time before they turn 21. That is how much time a child will spend in middle school and high school classes, assuming they don’t skip any days to stay at home playing video games!

As if that wasn’t enough time spent gaming, global commerce has introduced children to a new wave of gaming. Video game characters are now live action movie icons. Worldwide tournaments link players across oceans. Characters adorn backpacks, underwear, t-shirts, beach towels, toothpaste, cereal and any merchandise deemed valuable to consumers.

0000350

1

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL

Major universities such as MIT, UC-Berkeley and Robert Morris have video game teams in their athletic departments. Your fancy new phone probably came pre-loaded with several games, maybe Candy Crush Saga® or Angry Birds®. Words with Friends® even got Alec Baldwin kicked off of a plane. “Gamification” has allowed Untappd® to turn drinking into a badgeworthy accomplishment and ShopKick® did the same for shopping.

Most of these games have one goal in mind, to sell us something or otherwise promote a brand’s product line through social engagement. Scientists know people love games. Games have instant rewards that are tied to physical skill, knowledge and luck … all of which people feel like they can control. Games also provide a sense of pride, allowing users to input high scores that will remain until beaten. It all works on a very primitive level; it feels good to win so your body secretes dopamine. Your body is awash with hormones during the thrill of a challenge, all working to remind you how good it is to compete and win. The real trick is to harness the motivating and addictive power of video games to help users develop real, long-term gains in cognitive function and mobility.

Sure, you can do puzzles all day or spend hours directing Lumosity’s penguin around his maze or feeding fish, but is that making you any smarter? Research shows that some tasks can lead to improvement in daily life, but it is important to work at the source of the problem, deficit Neurotiming®. Next, we explore how video games can help children with conditions ranging from ADHD to developmental delays to austism.

0004275

2

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL

People spend billions on games, and can you blame them? Where else can you be a master sergeant, racecar diver, mushroom crazy plumber, pro-golfer and bank robber without any real-life danger? Nowhere. Games play into our natural reward systems and make people feel competitive, excited and full of dopamine. But alas, it isn’t all gold coins and magic mushrooms.

Your typical games, like Madden® football and Halo®, may do more harm than good because of the time spent playing and the lack of educational content. Most children spend an alarming amount of time in front of screens (see chart). All that sitting leads to childhood obesity, and the fast paced games and erratic nature of children’s programming both have a positive correlation with ADHD. Research has also shown that children with autism and ADHD are at a higher risk of becoming addicted to video games because of inattention (they average over two hours of video gaming per day).

Before you get the wrong idea, there is no reason to throw out your child’s gaming console. As with anything, moderation is the key. In fact, some games have been shown to have a positive effect on anxiety and mood. Additionally, games based on puzzles and problem solving can improve spatial and reasoning skills.

CHILDREn born to game

0010150

3

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL

But what about all the games designed to train your brain? Unfortunately, University of Oslo researchers concluded that while individuals do improve their performance in many of these games, the skills do not transfer to better memory, coordination, processing speed, etc.

Disheartened? Don’t be. The games simply aren’t working on the right mechanism. Solving puzzles and playing games only functions on domain-specific mechanisms. Domain-specific skills are very important, but have limited application for improving overall brain efficiency and processing speed. However, there are ways to train your brain that can help beyond the game.

A study by Deakin University in Australia found that children who played certain interactive games on the Nintendo Wii had better hand-eye coordination and object motor skills. Interactive training involves various functional brain networks and works on domain-general mechanisms. Timing is a domain-general mechanism that has a profound effect on our daily lives, and has been associated with ADHD, dyslexia, autism and many developmental disorders. (More about domain-general vs domain-specific mechanisms can be found in Part 4 of this ebook.)

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children only get about two hours of screen time per day (all television, gaming and computer time combined), so make sure the time your child spends gaming is helping to train their developing brain for the future. Remember, it is all about using your time wisely.

0040225

4

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL

All Grown UP a nation of gamers

Up until now, we have spent most of our time focusing on children; after all, we generally associate video games with children. However, gamers are getting older and spending more time playing. Nowadays, there are people that don’t have to wait to be done with school or work to play video games.

Video games are big business. Video game players are 30 years old on average, meaning they have plenty of disposable income and time to spend gaming. Additionally, games are now on mobile devices more than ever before. The mobile phone market has penetration of 102% (yes, there is more than one phone per person in America) and 60% of people play games on their mobile phone. Even though children now carry phones, the majority of those gamers are adults.

We know games aren’t going anywhere. In fact, with buzz words like ‘gamification’ catching on with marketers, it is likely we will see even more games in our daily lives. So, what are all these games doing to our brains?

0098575

5

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL

We have talked at length about the different mechanisms at play in the brain. Clearly, programs like Lumosity® and Cogmed® can only do so much when the training just makes you better at the game you are playing. Now, we are not one to disparage others; playing games is fun, it keeps your brain active and there is no risk to any brain training. Staying engaged also helps with mood and competing at games naturally makes people feel better.

But what if you really do want play a game that makes you a better driver, or better at balancing your checkbook? That is the challenge. As we discussed earlier, it is the neurofeedback and performance measurement that allows for success. You have to have that feedback to know that you are improving the right mechanism, in this case deficit Neurotiming®.

A study by Dr. Adam Gazzaley, director of the Neuroscience Imaging Center, showed that adults ages 60-85 could slow cognitive decline as they aged by using video game training. In Dr. Gazzaley’s study, subjects played a game called NeuroRacer that was designed to mimic driving by forcing people to navigate a course while taking into account road signs

0202500

6

“Interactive Metronome® (IM) is believed to improve the resolution and efficiency of an individual’s internal brain clock(s) and temporal processing. In turn, it is hypothesized that this results in more efficient brain connectivity, communication, and synchronization via increased integrity of the brains white matter tract communication system, producing more efficient communication between critical brain networks.”

- Dr. Kevin McGrew

“The Science Behind Interactive Metronome: An Integration of Brain Clock, Temporal Processing, Brain Network and Neurocognitive Research and Theory”

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL

and still avoiding distractions. What really sets the game apart is its difficulty; when players become better at the game, the game learns and makes it harder. It is this progression that drives success, much like changing the difficulty in IM (or simply changing to auto-difficulty); it keeps clients engaged and determined. The results suggest that the training went beyond driving, ultimately helping with both memory and sustained attention.

Dr. Gazzaley’s subjects’ electroencephalographs (EEG) showed changes to the brain’s functional neural networks involved in cognitive control. Gazzaley said that these findings point to a “common neural basis of cognitive control this is enhanced by the challenging and high-interference conditions of the video game, and this might explain how [the game] could improve something as seemingly unrelated as memory.”

Others are finally taking note of the importance of video game training. Peter Etchells, a psychologist who studies the effects of computer games on the brain, said that the study was a “great example of how video games tailored to specific populations can be used to improve mental health. We hear a lot about how video games might be bad for us, but it’s not really a simple, black-and-white story.”

Although these studies don’t show any benefit from a game like Call of Duty or Mario Kart, it is promising for adults who feel like they have lost something cognitively. Research suggests that the brain starts to decline as early as age 24, leaving many people unsure of their mental capacity in 60 years. Now, there is hope for improvement. By incorporating Neurotiming® training into therapy, properly tailored video game therapy can push people to succeed and surpass any therapeutic goal.

0336250

7

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL

And isn’t that what it is all about? Getting back to a quality life for ourselves, friends or family is all any of us care about. Combining video games with therapy is a great way to stay engaged, motivated and even pain free during training. That’s right, pain free! (check out number five) A study by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that video games improved:

1. Psychological therapy outcomes (69%)2. Physical therapy outcomes (59%)3. Physical activity outcomes (50%)4. Clinician skills outcomes (46%)5. Pain distraction outcomes (42%)6. Health education outcomes (42%)7. Disease self-management outcomes (37%)

The next time you want to play a game, think about your brain. Spend a few minutes working on Neurotiming® and you will be pleasantly surprised at the results. There is always time for Call of Duty®, your brain is calling now.

So, how can neurofeedback and games that challenge timing and rhythm actually physiologically change the brain?

0589925

8

Onward hero! The answer awaits

in the

final stages!

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL0725500

9

YOUR BRAIN it’s time for a change

Well, we have discussed brain training video games and their effect on the brain. However, a study from the University of Oregon published in the January 1st issue of the Journal of Neuroscience claims that brain training only helps with the specific task and does not carry over new challenges. What does that mean for Interactive Metronome®? Fortunately, IM is much more than brain training; IM training physiologically changes the brain, leading to improvement in all areas, not just one specific task.

When it comes to brain training, targeting the right mechanisms makes all the difference. Researchers at the University of Oregon were looking at a domain-specific mechanism, specifically the ability to perform a stop/go task. Domain-specific tasks are very…hmmm…well, specific, and they have become automated through years of practice. One group received training in similar inhibitory control exercises for three weeks while the control group had no such practice. It is natural to assume that training in such a specific task will only help that task.

Part of what makes IM so unique is its ability to improve domain-general mechanisms. Domain-general mechanisms are “jack-of-all-trades” mechanisms that function across a wide range of processes. Timing is a domain-general mechanism that affects every part of human life. Sleeping and eating are on natural timing cycles. Speech relies on timing, pauses and emphasis. Walking relies on coordinated, timed movement. In fact, it seems that every essential brain function relies on timing. It is this timing that affects the rate our brains process inputs (temporal processing) and respond to those stimuli.

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL0886750

10

IM synchronizes and improves the efficiency of our internal brain clock(s), which improves temporal processing and neural efficiency. Since conditions such as ADHD, dyslexia, Parkinson’s, Cerebral palsy, autism, and TBI have all been associated with poor temporal processing, improving neural efficiency could potentially slow or reverse the affects of a host of clinical disorders. Greater neural efficiency results in more efficient brain connectivity, communication and synchronization between the essential brain networks. Increasing that efficiency is only part of the process. Now, you have to be able to apply the improvements to daily life.

With IM you can! Research shows that combining whole body movements with cognitive tasks leads to overall better outcomes. Interactive Metronome® is the only training program that improves timing in the brain and coordinated movement in an organized, systematic, flexible and engaging format. IM is a patented and unique training tool that challenges thinking and movement simultaneously, providing real-time millisecond feedback to help synchronize the body’s internal clock. This, in turn, allows an individual to reach their full potential academically, socially, professionally and athletically in only minutes a day, a few days a week.

So, don’t get discouraged; brain training may be limited, but IM training will take you to the next level. If you are thinking about improving your cognitive performance, remember, it’s about TIME.

Call your representative today to find out how you can be a part of Interactive Metronome’s life

changing training!

Toll Free: (877) 994-6776 (*U.S. Only)

Phone: (954) 385-4660

SCORE

LIVES LEVEL111038500

Our hero arrives to find the princess locked away in her castle. Her nefarious captor fled when he heard the champion of Neurotiming® approached, but he has left the princess trapped behind a series of puzzles and dance moves. Fortunately, our hero has spent his life training for this moment. He races through the tasks at 54 bpm. First, math problems. On to sequential planning, word puzzles...and lastly, a dance-off. This will surely test his skills!

Never fear! Our champion is a true master of Neurotiming® and these tasks prove to be no more than a nuisance. In a flash the princess is free and balance is restored to the kingdom. Now, the subjects sing out a new song, a song of freedom...and it was a very catchy song; it had a good beat, something that makes you want to get up, move around and start clapping.

GAME OVER dramatic conclusion

The new IM-Universe has 11 brand new games and 28 exciting wallpapers that will keep training exciting and engaging.

Visit www.interactivemetronome.com orcall (954) 385-4660 to find out more today.