Abstract
Time estimation is an important component of the ability to organize and plan sequences of actions as well as cognitive functions, both of which are known to be altered in dyslexia. While attention deficits are accompanied by short Time Productions (TPs), expert meditators have been reported to produce longer durations, and this seems to be related to their increased attentional resources. In the current study, we examined the effects of a month of Quadrato Motor Training (QMT), which is a structured sensorimotor training program that involves sequencing of motor responses based on verbal commands, on TP using a pre-post design. QMT has previously been found to enhance attention and EEG oscillatory activity, especially within the alpha range. For the current study, 29 adult Hebrew readers were recruited, of whom 10 dyslexic participants performed the QMT. The normal readers were randomly assigned to QMT (n = 9) or Verbal Training (VT, identical cognitive training with no overt motor component, and only verbal response, n = 10). Our results demonstrate that in contrast to the controls, longer TP in females was found following 1 month of intensive QMT in the dyslexic group, while the opposite trend occurred in control females. We suggest that this longer TP in the female dyslexics is related to their enhanced attention resulting from QMT. The current findings suggest that the combination of motor and mindful training, embedded in QMT, has a differential effect depending on gender and whether one is dyslexic or not. These results have implications for educational and contemplative neuroscience, emphasizing the connection between specifically-structured motor training, time estimation and attention.
Highlights
For the controls assigned to Verbal Training (VT) (CV), one may note the essential linearity of the data in the log-log plot
Time estimation is an important component of the ability to organize and plan sequences of actions as well as cognitive functions
While attention deficits are accompanied by short Time Productions (TPs), expert meditators have been reported to produce longer durations, related to their increased attentional resources
Summary
Timing deficits in dyslexia include those concerned with time estimation (Nicolson et al, 1995; Ramus et al, 2003; Hölzel et al, 2011), rhythm tapping (Wolff et al, 1990; Wolff, 2002), detecting complex timing patterns (Kujala et al, 2007), rapid temporal processing (Tallal et al, 1993), auditory temporal sensitivity (Witton et al, 1998) and visual motion detectionQMT-Induced Time Production Changes (Talcott et al, 2000). Given that impaired motor skills are often observed in dyslexics, some researchers have attributed dyslexics’ cognitive and motor deficiencies to abnormal development and functioning of the cerebellum (Nicolson et al, 1995, 2001). These findings have led to the claim that the role of the cerebellum is not limited to regulating the timing, rate, force, rhythm and accuracy of movements, and to the speed, capacity, consistency and appropriateness of cognitive processes (Schmahmann, 2004; Hölzel et al, 2011; Buckner, 2013)
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