![]() The alpha brainwave state naturally arises when an individual has either just fallen asleep, awakened, or when an individual has reached a state of relaxation and/or meditation (Schuman, 1980). The alpha brainwave state has also been associated with a relaxed, calm, yet alert, state (Huang & Charyton, 2008). al, 2019 Frederick, Timmermann, Russel, & Lubar, 2005 Lustenberg, et. Current academic literate has expressed a variety of associations between the presence of the alpha brainwave state and cognitive tendencies such as, but not limited to: decreased symptoms of depression, increased hemispheric coherence in the frontal lobe, and increased creativity (Alexander et. The alpha brainwave state has been measured as ranging between 8 - 12 Hz (Gao et al., 2014 Huang & Charyton, 2008). One of the most common benefits advertised is stress reduction via alpha isochronic tones. There is a large quantity of isochronic tone MP3s easily accessed online which promise a variety of mental health benefits. While there is an increasing amount of evidence for the validity of auditory brainwave entrainment via other techniques such binaural beats, there is limited evidence for the effectiveness of isochronic tones to illicit neural synchronization (Lustenberger, Boyle, Foulser, Mellin, & Frohilich, 2015 Shealy et. For the purposes of this study, we examined the role of audio entrainment via isochronic tones set within the alpha frequency range (8 – 10 Hz). There are five demarcated brainwave states: delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma (Gao et. ![]() For example, a sine wave set at any harmonic frequency oscillating off and on eight times per second (8 Hz) in an attempt to entrain the brain to the alpha state (8 – 10 Hz) is an example of an alpha isochronic tone.īrainwave entrainment, also known as neural synchronization or cortical entrainment, refers to the use of frequency-specific rhythmic stimuli, either visual or auditory, to influence the production of brainwaves that match the frequency of the stimuli (Ray, 2017 Siever, 2012 Will & Berg, 2007). ![]() Isochronic tones are produced by oscillating the amplitude of any sound off and on at a specific rate – normally a rate equivalent to that of a desired brainwave state (Huang & Charyton, 2008). The purpose of the current study is to investigate the effectiveness of isochronic tones in stress reduction and auditory brainwave entrainment. 020) in absolute alpha band power, indicating a greater presence of absolute alpha in the absence of isochronic tones and contradicting the hypothesized effectiveness of isochronic tones. A two sample t-test showed a significant difference ( p =. 509) in subjective stress between isochronic conditions. A Mann-Whitney U (Mann & Whitney, 1947) showed no significant difference ( p =. Participants completed a pre-ESRQ and EEG analysis, listened to their assigned song for five minutes, then completed a post-ESRQ and EEG analysis to measure for changes as a result of the presence or absence of isochronic tones in their assigned condition. Sixty undergraduates were randomly assigned to listen to a song containing or absent of isochronic tones in a double-blind procedure. The current study examined the lasting effect of 8 Hz alpha isochronic tones on subjective stress, via Larsson’s (2011) ESRQ, and absolute alpha band power, via an EEG. Though Isochronic tones are commercially marketed as effective in brainwave entrainment, there is limited empirical investigation to date to substantiate this claim this is particularly true of alpha cortical entrainment via isochronic tones. Brainwave entrainment, also referred to as neural synchronization, is a phenomenon by which external stimuli influence neural oscillations related to specific cognitive states (Siever, 2012). Isochronic tones are a hypothesized auditory brainwave entrainment technique in which a single tone is played at regular beat intervals.
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