RETRACTED ARTICLE: The effect of gamma-enhancing binaural beats on the control of feature bindings

Abstract

Binaural beats represent the auditory experience of an oscillating sound that occurs when two sounds with neighboring frequencies are presented to one’s left and right ear separately. Binaural beats have been shown to impact information processing via their putative role in increasing neural synchronization. Recent studies of feature-repetition effects demonstrated interactions between perceptual features and action-related features: repeating only some, but not all features of a perception–action episode hinders performance. These partial-repetition (or binding) costs point to the existence of temporary episodic bindings (event files) that are automatically retrieved by repeating at least one of their features. Given that neural synchronization in the gamma band has been associated with visual feature bindings, we investigated whether the impact of binaural beats extends to the top-down control of feature bindings. Healthy adults listened to gamma-frequency (40 Hz) binaural beats or to a constant tone of 340 Hz (control condition) for ten minutes before and during a feature-repetition task. While the size of visuomotor binding costs (indicating the binding of visual and action features) was unaffected by the binaural beats, the size of visual feature binding costs (which refer to the binding between the two visual features) was considerably smaller during gamma-frequency binaural beats exposure than during the control condition. Our results suggest that binaural beats enhance selectivity in updating episodic memory traces and further strengthen the hypothesis that neural activity in the gamma band is critically associated with the control of feature binding.

40-Hz Binaural beats enhance training to mitigate the attentional blink

“…The focus on 40-Hz oscillations is in line with several reports about the positive effects of gamma-frequency BB. For example, 40-Hz BB improved working memory recall 27 , gamma-band BB impacted the control of visual feature binding 68 , and 40-Hz BB supported cognitive control of decision making 69 . Another study showed that 20-Hz BB improved long term memory while 5-Hz BB impaired memory compared to a white noise control condition 26 .…”

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

“…In order to develop a full picture of brain activity due to BB exposure, a suggestion would be that the application of other kinds of BB not used in this study such as alpha BB (Park et al, 2018;Shekar et al, 2018) or gamma BB (Colzato et al, 2017;Shekar et al, 2018). Additional studies that give an insight into brain signal modulation are needed for further understanding of which effects BB induces on humans.…”

Effects of binaural beats and isochronic tones on brain wave modulation: Literature review

“…These benefits were observed only in individuals with low rates of spontaneous blinking, which indicates low levels of dopamine in the striatum. Colzato et al 53 reported that 3-min 40 Hz binaural beats stimulation improved focus and attention in healthy young adults. Moreover, a study using 10-min 40 Hz stimulation in healthy adults 54 demonstrated that BWE acts by modeling specific brain oscillations, in cognitive processes sustained in the gamma wave frequency range, such as mental processes related to intelligence, self-control, and well-being.…”