The Effects of Binaural Beats on the Brain's Functional Connectivity

Abstract

Binaural Beats (BB) are rhythmic tones used to alter one's mental state; BB are an illusionary, perceived third tone. This study aims to answer if BB stimulation can elicit unique functional connectivity (FC) patterns in the brain by utilizing electroencephalography (EEG) data and graph theory analysis (GTA) in analyzing FC between anatomically separate regions of the brain. The hypothesis is that a singular 10-minute session of BB listening through earphones will modulate the brain's FC. Noticeable changes between subjects pre- and post-BB EEG recording sessions are seen; changes in state of balance are assessed using GTA. Results show distinguished effects due to different types of BB intervention. A pattern of connectivity is determined for a singular type of BB within this study.