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Metronome said to help ADHD
WESTON, Florida (CNN) -- A new study suggests a metronome device may help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bettering their concentration, motor skills and academic performance. But some ADHD experts, citing insufficient evidence, question the research's conclusions. ADHD is thought to affect 3 percent to 5 percent of school-aged children in the United States, most of them boys. The developmental disorder, characterized by inattention and behavioral problems, is generally treated with medications such as Ritalin or with various behavioral therapies. One of the latest therapies involves performing various tasks -- such as clapping and tapping the foot -- to the beat of a metronome. Commonly used by musicians to maintain rhythm, a metronome is an instrument designed to mark exact time by a regularly repeated tick.
The therapy grew out of piano lessons for Jimmy Eggleston, 14, who suffered from ADHD among other physical and developmental disabilities. Jimmy's father, Tom, noticed Jimmy's concentration and behavior improved after using the metronome on a regular basis. Tom Eggleston was so impressed, he started a company, Interactive Metronome, to market a metronome device as an ADHD treatment tool. "We're used to seeing it tick and forth and listening to the sound," Eggleston said of his product. "This takes that sound, puts it into headphones." New research, published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, appears to bear out Eggleston's experience. Fifty-six boys took part in the study.
"Their attention improved, their motor planning and sequencing improved. They had improvement in selected academic skills involving reading and some math capacities," said Dr. Stanley Greenspan, a child psychiatrist who conducted the research. Greenspan is also an advisor to Interactive Metronome. Not all ADHD specialists are convinced, claiming the study was too small to draw conclusions. They also point out children who used the metronome did little better in various tests than those who played video games instead. "Let the researchers experiment and provide us a little more evidence on these new techniques before we expose our children to them and think it will make a big difference," said Dr. Rebecca Fewell of the University of Miami. Fewell said "there's probably no harm in doing it," but warned parents and young ADHD sufferers may be wasting their time and hope using a therapy not yet really proven to be effective. But many parents aren't waiting. Alyssa Loeffler tried the metronome therapy with her 8-year-old son, Ryan. "His teacher was telling me, 'This is a different child,'" she explained. "She couldn't believe Ryan was doing all his work and that he was sitting in his seat and he was attentive." The interactive metronome is available in 300 hospitals and clinics across the United States, where it is administered by therapists who have had 15 hours of training. Its creators say it is not designed to replace existing therapies, but to complement them. RELATED STORIES: Ritalin abuse scoring high on college illegal drug circuit RELATED SITES: Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher says problems caused by ADHD can be prevented if the disease is properly diagnosed
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