Health
Precisely timed sound stimulation helps understand brainwave function
Using sound to stimulate certain brain waves may improve the quality of sleep in people with dementia and cognitive decline, a new study has found. Sleep problems are a common symptom of dementia, which may affect up to half of all people with the condition.
In the study, researchers from the UK Dementia Research Centre for Care Research and Technology at the University of Surrey and Imperial College London used precisely timed sound stimuli to target a type of brainwave called alpha waves to investigate how the brain responded.
Alpha waves are associated with memory and perception, and changes in their rhythm have been observed in people suffering from cognitive decline and dementia.
Lead author Dr Inés Violante, Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Surrey, said:
“Alpha oscillations are a hallmark of the brain's electrical activity, but their role in shaping basic brain functions is not yet fully understood.
“Using sound is a powerful, non-invasive approach to stimulate specific oscillations in the brain. We know that brain oscillations slow down in diseases such as Alzheimer's, so it is important to find ways to manipulate these oscillations to create tools that can be applied therapeutically.”
In one set of experiments, the researchers used an innovative brain modulation technique called alpha closed-loop auditory stimulation (aCLAS), in which sounds are timed to precise phases of the alpha rhythm. To monitor the effects of the stimulation, measurements of electrical activity from the brain were continuously read in real time, and sounds (bursts of pink noise) were played to subjects when their brainwaves reached specific phases.
Researchers observed that the alpha wave rhythm sped up or slowed down depending on the phase that the sound was being played in. This effect also varied depending on where in the brain the alpha wave oscillations originated.
Dr Henry Hebron, a former PhD student at the University of Surrey and first author of the paper, said:
“What we discovered is that if we use a closed-loop approach to process this rhythm in its own terms, we can manipulate alpha oscillations via sound. Surprisingly, when we performed the aCLAS experiment as participants were falling asleep, we observed that sounds at certain stages prevented them from reaching deeper stages of sleep (without waking them up), while the same sounds at a different stage did not interrupt them.
“There is still a lot to learn about behaviors that depend on neural oscillations, but we think that closed-loop approaches like the one we implemented here may be key.”
Now that the researchers have demonstrated that alpha waves can be influenced with sound, the next step is to explore whether they can be modified in ways that improve cognition and sleep, which could ultimately benefit dementia patients.
Professor Dirk Jan Dyk, Director of the Surrey Sleep Research Centre and Group Leader for the UK Dementia Research Centre for Care Research and Technology, said:
“There is still a lot that remains to be learned about the role of alpha waves in sleep and cognition. This technology could have a huge impact in better understanding and improving sleep function in people with dementia. We are currently investigating the effects of this closed-loop auditory stimulation approach in REM sleep, where alpha waves are present but their role is still unknown.”
This research contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being.
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Sources 2/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/06/240619143704.htm The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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