Binaural Beats through the Auditory Pathway: From Brainstem to Connectivity Patterns

Perez, Hector Domingo Orozco; Dumas, Guillaume; Lehmann, Alexandre

doi:10.1523/eneuro.0232-19.2020

Cited by 40 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…neural synchronization, plays a role in BB-induced cognitive enhancement. This is in line with studies indicating that gamma BB do not enhance EEG spectral power in any frequency band or only induces a weak cortical entrainment (López-Caballero and Escera 2017;Perez et al 2020). However, as is mentioned in the Introduction, the synchronization of fluctuations in gamma band power with intermittent and metrical auditory rhythms has been observed in MEG and EEG recordings (Fujioka et al 2009;On et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Effects of binaural and monaural beat stimulation on attention and EEG

Engelbregt

Barmentlo²,

Keeser

et al. 2021

Exp Brain Res

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Nowadays a popular technique to improve mood and cognition is auditory beat stimulation (ABS), which is thought to induce a frequency-following response of brainwaves. The main types of ABS are monaural beats (MB) and binaural beats (BB). BB involves the presentation of a specific frequency to one ear and another frequency to the other ear which may induce neural entrainment. A difference between the frequencies of 40 Hz is assumed to improve cognition. The present study examined the effect of 40 Hz binaural beats (BB) and monaural beats (MB) on attention and electroencephalography (EEG). A total of 25 first-year psychology students (11 males, 14 females) performed a Flanker task while EEG was recorded during the 5 min-presentation of pink noise (PN), MB and BB. With respect to attention, as measured by the Flanker task, the number of false responses in the BB condition was smaller than that in the PN condition while the number of false responses in the MB condition was larger as compared to the PN condition. As there was no association of BB with a consistent increase in absolute 40 or 45 Hz power compared to PN or MB, EEG recordings could not confirm the hypothesized neural entrainment in the brain. Overall, the current findings show that listening to 40 Hz BB improves attention but do not show the occurrence of neural entrainment. Future research is recommended to include a larger sample, to use a broader cognitive test battery and to present auditory beats with a longer duration.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Effects of binaural and monaural beat stimulation on attention and EEG

Engelbregt

Barmentlo²,

Keeser

et al. 2021

Exp Brain Res

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“…Rhythm, music, and audio stimuli, in general, are used by humans to improve cognitive performances and enhance moods while studying or in social gatherings [ 10 – 13 ]. A new type of audio stimulus is binaural beats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is claimed that they may influence different cognitive functions and mood states, like memory, attention, vigilance, and creativity [ 16 , 19 ], perhaps through alterations in the functioning of different brain networks as a result of synchronized hemispheric oscillations and brainwave entrainment [ 4 , 16 , 20 – 24 ]. Therefore, binaural beats are being introduced as a new potential cognitive booster that might also have various influences such as changing the mood [ 10 ], altering the states of consciousness [ 25 ], or entraining the whole brain [ 26 , 27 ] (although recent studies failed to find mood-altering effects [ 28 ]). The noninvasive nature of these stimuli, their inexpensiveness, their ease of administration, and their potential ability to modulate cognition without previous training make binaural beats an intriguing candidate for use by both impaired and healthy individuals [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, binaural beats are being introduced as a new potential cognitive booster that might also have various influences such as changing the mood [ 10 ], altering the states of consciousness [ 25 ], or entraining the whole brain [ 26 , 27 ] (although recent studies failed to find mood-altering effects [ 28 ]). The noninvasive nature of these stimuli, their inexpensiveness, their ease of administration, and their potential ability to modulate cognition without previous training make binaural beats an intriguing candidate for use by both impaired and healthy individuals [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Binaural Beat Brain Stimulation and Short-Term Training on Simultaneously Assessed Visuospatial and Verbal Working Memories, Signal Detection Measures, Response Times, and Intrasubject Response Time Variabilities: A Within-Subject Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Rakhshan

Hassani-Abharian

Joghataei

et al. 2022

BioMed Research International

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Introduction. Binaural beats (BBs) are phantom sound illusions perceived when two sounds of slightly different frequencies are separately transmitted to the ears. It is suggested that some BB frequencies might entrain the brain and enhance certain cognitive functions such as working memory or attention. Nevertheless, studies in this regard are very scarce, quite controversial, and merely covering a very small portion of this vast field of research (e.g., testing only a few BB frequencies), not to mention adopting some limited methodologies (e.g., no assessment of the loudness of the BB sound, adopting only between-subject analyses, and testing only one perceptual modality). Hence, we aimed to assess the potential effects of alpha, beta, and gamma BBs on cognitive-behavioral parameters of working memory and attention examined simultaneously in two different modalities (visuospatial and auditory-verbal). Methods. This within-subject five-arm randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial included 155 trials in 31 healthy right-handed subjects (17 women, 14 men, 30.84 ± 6.16 years old). Each subject listened to 8-minute sessions of 10 Hz, 16 Hz, and 40 Hz binaural beats versus 240 Hz pure tone and silence (in random orders). In each 8-minute block, they played a dual 2-back task with feedback enabled. Their cognitive-behavioral parameters (working memory capacities, signal detection measures (hit rate, false alarm rate, sensitivity, and response bias), and reaction speed measures (response time and intrasubject response time variability)) were calculated. The effects of the sound interventions and short-term training on these working memory and attention measures were assessed statistically using mixed-model linear regressions, repeated-measures ANOVAs and ANCOVAs, Bonferroni post hoc tests, and one-sample t -tests ( α = 0.05 ). Results. The following are some major statistically significant findings ( P ≤ 0.05 ): In the visuospatial modality, the 10 Hz BB reduced the response time and intrasubject response time variability and reduced the extent of decline over time in the case of visuospatial working memory, sensitivity, and hit rate. In the auditory-verbal modality, the 10 Hz intervention reduced the hit rate, false alarm rate, and sensitivity. The 10 Hz intervention also caused the lowest intermodality discrepancies in hit rates and false alarm rates, the highest response time discrepancies, and negative discrepancies in working memories and sensitivities (indicating the superiority of the visuospatial modality). The response biases tended to be liberal-to-neutral in the verbal modality and rather conservative in the visuospatial modality. Reactions were faster in the visuospatial modality than the auditory-verbal one, while the intrasubject variability of reaction times was smaller in the auditory-verbal modality. Short-term training can increase the hit rate, working memory, and sensitivity and can decrease the false alarm rate and response time. Aging and reduced sound intervention volume may slow down responses and increase the intrasubject variability of response time. Faster reactions might be correlated with greater hit rates, working memories, and sensitivities and also with lower false alarm rates. Conclusions. The 8-minute alpha-band binaural beat entrainment may have a few, slight enhancing effects within the visuospatial modality, but not in both modalities combined. Short-term training can improve working memory and some cognitive parameters of attention. Some BB interventions can affect the intermodality discrepancies. There may be differences between the two modalities in terms of the response speeds and intrasubject response time variabilities. Aging can slow down the response, while increasing the volume of audio interventions may accelerate it.

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“…Conversely, López-Caballero and Escera (2017) disagree with brain entrainment due to BB, since no differences in EEG power between baseline and BB exposure were found while using theta, alpha, beta, gamma, and upper gamma BB ( López-Caballero and Escera, 2017 ). Additionally, other studies failed on promoting brainwave entrainment using theta ( Goodin et al, 2012 ; Orozco Perez et al, 2020 ) or beta BB ( Goodin et al, 2012 ; Vernon et al, 2012 ). Another example is the work undertaken by Gao et al (2014) , where EEG signals were studied while delta, theta, alpha, and beta BB were applied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personalized Theta and Beta Binaural Beats for Brain Entrainment: An Electroencephalographic Analysis

2021

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Binaural beats (BB) consist of two slightly distinct auditory frequencies (one in each ear), which are differentiated with clinical electroencephalographic (EEG) bandwidths, namely, delta, theta, alpha, beta, or gamma. This auditory stimulation has been widely used to module brain rhythms and thus inducing the mental condition associated with the EEG bandwidth in use. The aim of this research was to investigate whether personalized BB (specifically those within theta and beta EEG bands) improve brain entrainment. Personalized BB consisted of pure tones with a carrier tone of 500 Hz in the left ear together with an adjustable frequency in the right ear that was defined for theta BB (since fc for theta EEG band was 4.60 Hz ± 0.70 SD) and beta BB (since fc for beta EEG band was 18.42 Hz ± 2.82 SD). The adjustable frequencies were estimated for each participant in accordance with their heart rate by applying the Brain-Body Coupling Theorem postulated by Klimesch. To achieve this aim, 20 healthy volunteers were stimulated with their personalized theta and beta BB for 20 min and their EEG signals were collected with 22 channels. EEG analysis was based on the comparison of power spectral density among three mental conditions: (1) theta BB stimulation, (2) beta BB stimulation, and (3) resting state. Results showed larger absolute power differences for both BB stimulation sessions than resting state on bilateral temporal and parietal regions. This power change seems to be related to auditory perception and sound location. However, no significant differences were found between theta and beta BB sessions when it was expected to achieve different brain entrainments, since theta and beta BB induce relaxation and readiness, respectively. In addition, relative power analysis (theta BB/resting state) revealed alpha band desynchronization in the parieto-occipital region when volunteers listened to theta BB, suggesting that participants felt uncomfortable. In conclusion, neural resynchronization was met with both personalized theta and beta BB, but no different mental conditions seemed to be achieved.

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Binaural Beats through the Auditory Pathway: From Brainstem to Connectivity Patterns

Cited by 40 publications

References 66 publications

Effects of binaural and monaural beat stimulation on attention and EEG

Effects of binaural and monaural beat stimulation on attention and EEG

Personalized Theta and Beta Binaural Beats for Brain Entrainment: An Electroencephalographic Analysis

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