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Brain Responses to a 6-Hz Binaural Beat: Effects on General Theta Rhythm and Frontal Midline Theta Activity.

Nantawachara Jirakittayakorn, Yodchanan Wongsawat

Frontiers in Neuroscience 2017 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00365 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Controlled experimental study Peer reviewed
Sample size 28
Population Human participants divided into experimental and control groups
Duration 30 minutes of exposure
Measures Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG), Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS)
Topics Meditation
Keywords EEG Binaural beat Brain response Dichotic stimulation
Key findings Theta activity was induced across the entire cortex within 10 minutes of exposure to a 6-Hz binaural beat on a 250 Hz carrier tone in the experimental group, and frontal and parietal-central theta including the Fz position was also induced compared with controls, with left hemisphere dominance at other exposure durations. Tension scores on the Brunel Mood Scale decreased in the experimental group relative to controls. The authors suggest the stimulus induces a meditative state.

Abstract

A binaural beat is a beat phenomenon that is generated by the dichotic presentation of two almost equivalent pure tones but with slightly different frequencies. The brain responses to binaural beats remain controversial; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate theta activity responses to a binaural beat by controlling factors affecting localization, including beat frequency, carrier tone frequency, exposure duration, and recording procedure. Exposure to a 6-Hz binaural beat on a 250 Hz carrier tone for 30 min was utilized in this study. Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) was utilized as the recording modality. Twenty-eight participants were divided into experimental and control groups. Emotional states were evaluated by Brunel Mood Scale (BRMUS) before and after exposing to the stimulus. The results showed that theta activity was induced in the entire cortex within 10 min of exposure to the stimulus in the experimental group. Compared to the control group, theta activity was also induced at the frontal and parietal-central regions, which included the Fz position, and left hemisphere dominance was presented for other exposure durations. The pattern recorded for 10 min of exposure appeared to be brain functions of a meditative state. Moreover, tension factor of BRUMS was decreased in experimental group compared to control group which resembled the meditation effect. Thus, a 6-Hz binaural beat on a 250 Hz carrier tone was suggested as a stimulus for inducing a meditative state.

Comparable studies

Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) 2003 Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study
Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. 2008 Controlled laboratory experiment
Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. 2012 Two studies: correlational study and experimental study
Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence 2009 Experimental study
Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population 2006 Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition

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