Hemi-Sync® Journal 2004-3&4 (Summer/Fall)

--- PAGE 1 (OCR) --- Vol. XXII Summer/Fall 200 Nos. 3 & 4 A Research and Educational Publication of The Monroe Institute AUDITORY BINAURAL BEATS ENHANCE EEG-MEASURED BETA WAVE ACTIVITY IN INDIVIDUALS WITH ADHD IN THIS ISSUE We are pleased to present a condensed version of Janice C. McMurray’s 2004 master’s thesis examining the effects of binaural auditory beats on individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This thesis was accepted by the graduate faculty of California State University, Northridge, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master of arts in psychology, general-experimental. Gary S. Katz, PhD, the chairman of Ms. McMurray’s faculty advisory committee, is continuing to run subjects under this protocol with the intention of publishing in a peer-reviewed journal. by Janice Colleen McMurray, MA Janice C. McMurray isa third-year experimental psychology graduate student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She is currently planning a dissertation project looking at ways in which to enhance cognitive functioning for individuals with Alzheimer’ disease by means of auditory binaural beats. She received her MA in experimental psychology in June of 2004 from California State University, Northridge. Janice’ thesis project, “Auditory Binaural Beats Enhance EEG- Measured Beta Wave Activity in Individuals with ADHD,” won a first-place award at the eighth annual Student Research and Creative Works Symposium in November of 2003. She went on to represent her campus at the eighteenth annual California State University Student Research Competition in May of 2004. Introduction In January of 2002, a consortium including the U.S. sur- geon general, the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics issued an International Consensus Statement on ADHD, confirming their collective recognition of ADHD as a legitimate disorder. Their statement attested to several points: first, that ADHD involves a serious deficiency in psychological abilities, second, that deficits in behavioral inhibition and sustained attention are central to this disorder, and third, that for those it afflicts, ADHD can cause devastating problems. ADHD affects 7-10 percent of all school-age children, or about three million children in the United States. The behav- ioral symptoms of ADHD are usually evident between the ages of three and five. Until recently, boys were thought to be at least three times more likely than girls to develop the disorder. In a longitudinal study performed during the 1990s on boy-to-girl ADHD ratios among health maintenance organization (HMO) youth, however, there was a marked change in the gender dis- parity. In 1991, the male to female ratio was 9.8 to 1 versus the 1999 ratio of 4.6 to 1, indicating that girls were diagnosed in increasing numbers during the 1990s. Current studies also show that as many as 67 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD will continue to experience symptoms serious enough to inter- fere with academic, vocational, and social functioning as adults. © 2004 The Monroe Institute 365 Roberts Mountain Road, Faber, VA 22938 434/361-1252 --- PAGE 2 (OCR) --- HEMI-SYNC® JOURNAL, Current treatment includes medication and psychological counseling. Medication remains the backbone of treatment protocols due to its confirmed short-term benefits. Stimulants increase activity in parts of the brain that are underactive in ADHD individuals. Experts believe that this increase in neural activity improves attention and reduces impulsive, hyperactive, or aggressive behavior. These drugs increase the functional bioavailability of dopamine and therefore increase the probabil- ity that dopamine will bind to its receptors on other neurons, but medication alone has not been shown to improve the long- term outcome of ADHD. Furthermore, the most frequently prescribed medications (methylphenidate, atomoxetine, dex- troamphetamine, etc.) generally result in side effects that include decreased appetite, stomachaches, difficulty falling asleep, and mood swings. New methods for improving atten- tional functions within this population need to be investigated. What is Paying Attention? Attention is functionally defined as the cognitive process combining concentration, mental focus, engrossment, and interest. Attention can engage several neural structures at the same time. It sometimes involves searching for something stored in long-term memory, while holding information in working memory, along with ignoring irrelevant information. The inability to manage these attentional functions is particu- larly problematic in a classroom setting. Current Search for.a Cause—Electroencephalography Ninety-seven percent of the activity that occurs in the brain is integrated at the cortical level. Electrical changes in the brain’s cellular membrane polarization and inhibitory and excitatory potentials result in voltage that is carried throughout the brain. The voltage travels toward the cortex and may be measured from the scalp as microvolts. Electroencephalographic (EEG) measures of brain activity indicate that individuals with ADHD have difficulty maintain- ing the high levels of cortical arousal associated with sustained alertness and focused attention. Specifically, they show an insufficient amount of coordinated hemispheric brain- wave patterns, especially within the beta frequency range. There are four levels of electrical signals present in our brain: the 12-24 Hz beta waves, which are dominant when we are alert; the 7-11 Hz alpha waves, which are created when ‘we are more relaxed; the 4-6 Hz theta waves that occur when we are daydreaming; and the less than 4 Hz delta waves pres- ent while we are sleeping. For individuals with ADHD, it is likely that what we need is a method by which to bring the deficient level of beta brain waves into the normal frequency range. Music and the Brain For those with ADHD, brain waves in several frequency ranges may be abnormal. A deficiency in the delta and theta ranges adversely affects sleep patterns and creativity. Other studies show clearly that below-normal beta frequency brain waves interfere with maintaining attention. In an effort to raise deficient brain waves to a more normal level, researchers have looked to other disciplines for answers. Neurologist Oliver Sacks' has noted a particularly interesting effect. In 2000, Dr. Sacks discovered that by merely listening to classi- cal music, his stroke and Alzheimer’s patients briefly came alive after being literally frozen by the effects of their disease. For reasons we do not yet understand, patients who are unable to use words in speech are still able to sing those words. EEGs of his patients’ brains during this transformation showed that their brain waves picked up speed and showed a much more normal waveform while listening to classical music. Further studies show that it is actually certain beats with- in classical music that affect brain waves. Sornson’s research? has shown that beta-~harmonic sound patterns, specially designed to increase the level of beta brain-wave activity, enhance the absolute power of waveforms as measured objec- tively between baseline control conditions and experimental binaural-beat conditions. In a study of forty-one elementary school children with ADHD, 30 percent demonstrated sig- nificant improvement in behavior and achievement when music containing binaural beats was played in the classroom. An improvement in mood for college students was demon- strated in a study during which “binaural beat auditory stimulation significantly influenced affective processes even when people were unaware that such signals were being pre- sented.” It seems that music containing binaural harmonic frequencies may help synchronize brain activity and, result.in improved ability to maintain attention. Binaural Beats and How They Work When tones of two different frequencies are presented separately to each ear, the superior olivary nuclei within the medulla of the brain stem synthesize the two sounds into a single low-frequency tone, the binaural beat. The binaural beat pulses with the overall frequency of the difference between the two original tones. This electrical activity is then conducted to the cortex where it may be recorded by EEG electrodes and displayed as waveforms showing the electrical activity in the form of amplitude of voltage spread over time. If the difference between tones matches a particular brain- ‘wave state, such as the 4-6 Hz theta range, the 7-11 Hz alpha range, or the 12-24 Hz beta range, then the overall brain activity will maintain that brain-wave state. Research suggests that auditory binaural beats within specific electroencephalo- graph frequency ranges can enhance corresponding brain- wave activity and may affect levels of cognition. Finally, we must consider the pathways within the brain that transmit the binaural beats to the cortex for processing. The reticular activating system (RAS), a large net-like region in the brain stem, plays a major role in filtering sensory input and focusing attention and awareness and is strongly involved in the cortical processing of binaural beats. Studies indicate that the binaural signals are processed in the RAS. Since many researchers believe that different brain waves correspond to the production of specific neurochemicals in --- PAGE 3 (OCR) --- Summer/Fall 2004 the brain, the positive effect of auditory binaural beats at the neurological level may be twofold. Bauer’ described how this process occurs: “What I believe is happening ... is that by sending out the proper frequency, waveform, and current ... we change the configuration of the cell membrane. Cells that are at suboptimal levels are stimulated to ‘turn on’ and produce what they are supposed to produce, through DNA, which is stimulated through the cell membrane. You are charging the cells through a biochemical process that can possibly balance the acetylcholine or other neurotransmitters that need to be turned on.” Several studies in neurology suggest that a pri- mary function of the RAS is to adjust levels of the neuro- transmitter acetylcholine and that this activity manages corti- cal-arousal states. Acetylcholine has also been associated with higher intelligence-test scores, which coincide with one’s abil- ity to maintain attention. Focus of This Study This research tested whether auditory binaural-beat stim- ulation would result in enhanced EEG-measured beta brain- wave activity in individuals with ADHD. The internal com- munication system of the brain is based on frequency of neu- ral impulses. Influencing the frequency of beta brain-wave activity should improve the cognitive focus of people with ADHD. pieced * Participants . Eleven individuals with "ADHD, aged six six to forty three years, were recruited from a local Center for Children with Attentional Disorders counseling facility, from local chapters of the nationwide ADHD support group CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), and from the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) Disability Resource Center. The participants in this study were diagnosed as having ADHD (five had been diag- nosed by medical doctors and six had been diagnosed by psy- chologists) and were taking medication for their condition. Based on findings that medications prescribed for ADHD do not produce a clear change in EEG measures, the participants in this study remained on their prescribed regimen. These participants had no hearing impairment and were free from past closed-head injury and seizure disorder. Anyone with a hearing impairment was also screened out. All eleven of the recruits completed the study. The group was comprised of seven males, three of them children; and four females, one a