Research Hit: Sound to Stimulate Brain Waves
Sounds played while sleeping can strengthen alpha waves
Is this like playing music to babies to sleep better?
I wish it were that simple! But the bit about sleep is important because this was focused on alpha brain waves which are an important component and marker of sleep. They seem to help with sleep and also others factors such as memory consolidation and emotional processing.
I’ve written a lot on sleep - you can search my posts and also my last post was on memory consolidation in sleep:
This research was specifically focused on whether we can help improve quality of sleep in those with dementia or other forms of cognitive decline - because sleep is so important to so many brain processes and cognitive functioning.
And were they able to do this?
Yes, or rather to be more scientific, they were able to strengthen alpha waves which become weaker in many people with dementia during sleep.
Great, how did they do this, play some slow music?
No, there was a phase many years ago of playing music at an alpha rhythm to stimulate alpha states in the brain - which wasn’t scientifically proven as far as I’m aware of.
And again I wish it were that simple. These researchers used much more advanced techniques because the brain stimulates its own alpha rhythms.
They used electrodes on the scalp of participants as they were asleep to measure brain wave patterns and then to trigger a sound (pink noise) at precisely the right moment to strengthen the alpha wave - this is known as Alpha Closed-Loop Auditory Stimulation (aCLAS).
Depending on the phase the alpha waves were strengthen or weakened but it was also dependent on where the alpha waves were generated from in the brain.
So, nothing easy to implement for us right now?
Unfortunately not - but very interesting that researchers are getting a good grip on this and this may lead to effective therapeutic interventions in the not so distant future.
But it also shows that various interventions while asleep can be effective (even smells as a reported on previously:
What’s the advice for now?
As ever: get a good night’s sleep!
Short review:
Reference:
Henry Hebron, Beatrice Lugli, Radost Dimitrova, et al.
A closed-loop auditory stimulation approach selectively modulates alpha oscillations and sleep onset dynamics in humans.
PLOS Biology, 2024; 22 (6): e3002651
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002651