ArticlePloS one2016
The Effect of Binaural Beats on Visuospatial Working Memory and Cortical Connectivity.
Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Efficacy of binaural auditory beats in cognition, anxiety, and pain perception: a meta-analysis.Psychological research · 2019Pooled it
- Beyond expectations: nocebo suggestion affects cognitive performance in older adults.Psychological research · 2026Trial
- Effects of the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Binaural Beat Brain Stimulation and Short-Term Training on Simultaneously Assessed Visuospatial and Verbal Working Memories, Signal Detection Measures, Response Times, and Intrasubject Response Time Variabilities: A Within-Subject Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.BioMed research international · 2022Trial
- The Effects of 40 Hz Gamma Binaural Beat Auditory Stimulation on Postural Control, Motor Coordination, and Cognitive Function Among Healthy Adults: A Pilot Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Binaural Beat Stimulation Enhances Cognitive Function in Alzheimer's Disease via Temporal Lobe Activation: An sLORETA Study.Biomedicines · 2026Article
- Healing Effects of Music, Healing Frequencies, and Binaural Beats for Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke: A Review.Cureus · 2026Review
- Effect of Inaudible Binaural Beats Stimulation Timing and Task Performance Level on Visuospatial Working Memory.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The impact of sound intervention on sleep quality and stress levels in college students: a randomized controlled trial.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Cortical processing modulation in DOC by preferred music-coupled 40 Hz binaural stimulation: an exploratory EEG-fNIRS study.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Long Term Use of Personalised Binaural Beats in the Alpha Range: A Pilot Study.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- A parametric investigation of binaural beats for brain entrainment and enhancing sustained attention.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Beta frequency binaural beats combined with preferred music enhance combat performance and recovery responses in amateur kickboxers: a randomized crossover trial.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Modulated theta band frequency with binaural beat stimulation correlates with improved cognitive scores in Alzheimer's patients.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Article
- Impact of binaural beat stimulation on working memory: a graph theory network approach.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2025Article
- Effects of inaudible Binaural beats on visuospatial memory performance and hemodynamic responses.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Outcome measures of brainwave entrainment using delta wave stimulation in individuals with tinnitus having normal hearing sensitivity.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2024Article
- Reverse effect of home-use binaural beats brain stimulation.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Influence of Binaural Beats Stimulation of Gamma Frequency over Memory Performance and EEG Spectral Density.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Deep learning Binary/Multi classification for music's brainwave entrainment beats.PeerJ. Computer science · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Binaural beats utilize a phenomenon that occurs within the cortex when two different frequencies are presented separately to each ear. This procedure produces a third phantom binaural beat, whose frequency is equal to the difference of the two presented tones and which can be manipulated for non-invasive brain stimulation. The effects of binaural beats on working memory, the system in control of temporary retention and online organization of thoughts for successful goal directed behavior, have not been well studied. Furthermore, no studies have evaluated the effects of binaural beats on brain connectivity during working memory tasks. In this study, we determined the effects of different acoustic stimulation conditions on participant response accuracy and cortical network topology, as measured by EEG recordings, during a visuospatial working memory task. Three acoustic stimulation control conditions and three binaural beat stimulation conditions were used: None, Pure Tone, Classical Music, 5Hz binaural beats, 10Hz binaural beats, and 15Hz binaural beats. We found that listening to 15Hz binaural beats during a visuospatial working memory task not only increased the response accuracy, but also modified the strengths of the cortical networks during the task. The three auditory control conditions and the 5Hz and 10Hz binaural beats all decreased accuracy. Based on graphical network analyses, the cortical activity during 15Hz binaural beats produced networks characteristic of high information transfer with consistent connection strengths throughout the visuospatial working memory task.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.