Center for BrainHealth investigates the impact of auditory beat stimulation on cognition

Certain frequencies enhance comprehension

2023-12-21

(Press-News.org) Certain Frequencies Enhance Comprehension

New research conducted by the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas investigates the impact of binaural beat (BB) on language skills. BB is a sound that occurs when two slightly mismatched pure tones are heard. There is a growing interest in using BB as a non-invasive neuromodulation to enhance cognitive performance.

The study, Neural consequences of binaural beat stimulation on auditory sentence comprehension: an EEG study, was recently published in Cerebral Cortex.

Led by researchers in the Speech, Language and Music (SLAM) Lab, this EEG study investigated the neural correlates of enhanced sentence comprehension by BB stimulation at beta and gamma frequencies as a follow-up of their seminal behavioral work.

The study included 60 participants. Throughout the experiment, electroencephalography (EEG) measures were recorded. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of three listening groups of differing frequencies (18-Hz beta BB, 40-Hz gamma BB, or pure-tone baseline) embedded in music. Participants first underwent a sentence comprehension practice session, followed by a 10-minute stimulation phase where the frequencies were played. The stimulation phase was immediately followed by the language comprehension task phase. Results showed that participants exposed to 18-Hz beta binaural beats had significantly higher accuracy and faster response times during the comprehension task, particularly for complex sentences. Moreover, there was increased neural entrainment following the beta frequency, which was thought to reduce the processing burden of the subsequent sentence processing.

Lead investigator Dr. Yune Lee, Assistant Professor at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Director of the Speech, Language, and Music (SLAM) Laboratory stated, “This is the first neuroimaging study that elucidated the effect of BB on language processing at the neural level. Minimal exposure to beta frequency binaural beat resulted in significantly higher accuracy and faster language response times compared to control sounds. Furthermore, these results have implications for the potential use of BB in treating developmental language disorders.”

ABOUT CENTER FOR BRAINHEALTH

Center for BrainHealth®, part of The University of Texas at Dallas, is a translational research institute committed to enhancing, preserving, and restoring brain health across the lifespan. Major research areas include the use of functional and structural neuroimaging techniques to better understand the neurobiology supporting cognition and emotion in health and disease. This leading-edge scientific exploration is translated quickly into practical innovations to improve how people think, work and live, empowering people of all ages to unlock their brain potential. Translational innovations build on Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics (SMART™), a proprietary methodology developed and tested by BrainHealth researchers and other teams over three decades.

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Where you live matters: A first-of-its-kind study illustrates how racism is interrelated with poor health

2023-12-21

Where You Live Matters: A First-of-Its-Kind Study Illustrates How Racism Is Interrelated With Poor Health Study published in JAMA Network Open points to discrete factors, like voting participation, employment, education, and housing, that may serve as promising targets for interventions New York, NY (December 21, 2023) – A team of health equity researchers from several institutions has leveraged a complex web of data to test a hypothesis: That structural racism is associated with resources and structures at the neighborhood level that are closely associated with poor health. What they found in an analysis of highly localized, ...

New tool unifies single-cell data

2023-12-21

A new methodology that allows for the categorisation and organisation of single-cell data has been launched. It can be used to create a harmonised dataset for the study of human health and disease. Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Cambridge, EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), and collaborators developed the tool, known as CellHint. CellHint uses machine learning to unify data produced across the world, allowing it to be accessed by the wider research community, potentially driving new discoveries. In a new study, ...

Pancake stack of films on a balloon most accurate gamma-ray telescope

2023-12-21

A pancake stack of radioactivity-sensitive films carried through the sky by a balloon was able to take the world's most accurate picture of a neutron star's gamma ray beam. To achieve this, Kobe University researchers combined the oldest method of capturing radioactive radiation with the newest data capturing techniques and a clever time-recording device. The stars shine their light on us in the full range of the spectrum of light, from infra-red to gamma rays. For each of these bands, different sensing equipment is needed. The most challenging one is gamma rays, famous for being a high-energy product of nuclear fission, ...

Wireless tracking system could help improve the XR experience

2023-12-21

A new technology developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego has the potential to make the extended reality (XR) experience smoother and more seamless. The technology consists of an asset localization system that uses wireless signals to track physical objects with centimeter-level accuracy in real time, and then generates a virtual representation of these objects. Applications of this technology range from enhancing virtual gaming experiences to improving workplace safety. The team, led by Dinesh Bharadia, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, ...

Fleeing drought, vulnerable populations face flood risk in most African countries

2023-12-21

American Geophysical Union Press Release 23-47 21 December 2023 For Immediate Release This press release is also available online at: https://news.agu.org/press-release/fleeing-drought-vulnerable-populations-face-flood-risk-in-most-african-countries AGU press contact: Liza Lester, +1 (202) 777-7494, news@agu.org (UTC-5 hours) Contact information for the researchers: Serena Ceola, University of Bologna, serena.ceola@unibo.it (GMT+1 hours) WASHINGTON — In 80% of African countries, moved toward rivers and into cities during or following drought, increasing the number of people living in flood-risk areas in ...

The future of canine stem cell therapy: unprecedented, painless, and feeder-free

2023-12-21

Osaka, Japan – Dog owners may need to learn to appreciate their best friend’s urine. Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University have devised an efficient, non-invasive, and pain-free method to reprogram canine stem cells from urine samples, bringing furry companions one step closer to veterinary regenerative treatment. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been widely employed in studies on human generative medicine. With the growing importance of advanced medical care for dogs and cats, there is an expectation that new therapies utilizing iPSCs will ...

New insights revealed on tissue-dependent roles of JAK signaling in inflammation

2023-12-21

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have gained a deeper understanding of the nuanced roles of JAK inhibitors, or modulators, in inflammation across various cell types and tissues. Their findings suggest a more precise approach is required to potentially expand JAK inhibitor use to a wider range of allergy and inflammatory disorders. Details on the findings were published in the December 21, 2023, issue of the journal Cell. JAK1 is a key protein in the body that supports cell communication and controls the immune system. It is part of ...

Researchers discover key to epithelial cell growth

2023-12-21

RESEARCHERS DISCOVER KEY TO EPITHELIAL CELL GROWTH Australian researchers have discovered a new way that epithelial cells, which form layers in organs like the skin and stomach, attach to one another, and how they perceive growth signals at these attachments, helping them form tissues of the right size and shape. Epithelial cells cover the surfaces of most organs in the body and must adhere to each other to form both a protective and permeable barrier. They are exquisitely designed to both be tightly sealed against pathogens like bacteria, and to also allow the transport of salts, fluids, and nutrients. Researchers, led by Professor Kieran Harvey and Dr Benjamin Kroeger, at the ...

Race and ethnicity of infants enrolled in neonatal clinical trials

2023-12-21

About The Study: This systematic review of 120 studies with 14,000 participants found that Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous (e.g., Alaska Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian) participants were underrepresented in neonatal clinical trials, while white participants were overrepresented. There was wide variation in the terms used to report race and ethnicity data, and geographic representation was unevenly distributed, with some central and western U.S. regions underrepresented. Authors: Elliott M. Weiss, M.D., M.S.M.E., of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For ...

Wearable biosensing to predict imminent aggressive behavior in psychiatric inpatient youths with autism

2023-12-21

About The Study: The results of this study involving 70 youths with autism across four psychiatric inpatient hospitals suggest that wearable biosensing and machine learning may hold promise for identifying objective indicators of impending aggressive behaviors in youths with autism who are psychiatric inpatients. The findings may lay the groundwork for developing just-in-time adaptive intervention mobile health systems that may enable new opportunities for preemptive intervention. Authors: Matthew S. Goodwin, Ph.D., of Northeastern University in Boston, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: ...

Center for BrainHealth investigates the impact of auditory beat stimulation on cognition

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: