Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30073406›Full record

SynthesisPsychological research2019

Efficacy of binaural auditory beats in cognition, anxiety, and pain perception: a meta-analysis.

Miguel Garcia-Argibay, Miguel A Santed, José M Reales

3 registry-linked trialsAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Psychological research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 80 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
80citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT04372511 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Evaluation of Pain and Patient Satisfaction Using Binaural Beats in Patients Submitted to Colonoscopy

TypeinterventionalSponsorAzienda USL Toscana Nord OvestRan2020 to 2021Enrolled100ConditionsPainArmsBinaural Beats
NCT06083519 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

Assessment of a Novel Sound-based Treatment for Managing Distress Related to Tinnitus

TypeinterventionalSponsorToronto Metropolitan UniversityRan2024 to 2026Enrolled54ConditionsTinnitusArmsWhite Noise, Music and Auditory Beat Stimulation
NCT07518667 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

The Effect of Binaural Rhythm-Supported Music and Virtual Reality Experience on Labor Pain and Hormones

TypeinterventionalSponsorMedipol UniversityRan2026 to 2027Enrolled90ConditionsBirth, Hormones, Virtual Reality, MusicArmsVirtual reality experience, Binaural Beats-Supported Music Group
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

80 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  8. Effectiveness of brainwave entrainment on pre-operative fear and anxiety in pediatric dental patients: a randomized controlled trial.European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry · 2024
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20 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Miguel Garcia-ArgibayDepartment of Behavioral Science, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid, Spain. miguel.garciaargibay@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4811-2330
Miguel A SantedDepartment of Personality Psychology, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
José M RealesDepartment of Behavioral Science, National University of Distance Education (UNED), Madrid, Spain.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Binaural auditory beats are a perceptual phenomenon that occurs when presenting separately to each ear two tones that slightly differ in their frequency. It has been suggested that binaural beats can influence cognition and mental states among others. The objective of this meta-analysis was to study the effect of binaural beats on memory, attention, anxiety, and analgesia. Twenty-two studies met our inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. The results, based on 35 effect sizes, showed an overall medium, significant, consistent effect size (g = 0.45). Meta-regression results indicated that it does not seem to be necessary to mask binaural beats with white noise or pink noise in terms of effectiveness, obtaining similar effects with unmasked binaural beats. Moreover, the findings suggest that binaural-beat exposure before, and before and during the task produces superior results than exposure during the task. Time under exposure contributed significantly to the model indicating that longer periods are advisable to ensure maximum effectiveness. Our meta-analysis adds to the growing evidence that binaural-beat exposure is an effective way to affect cognition over and above reducing anxiety levels and the perception of pain without prior training, and that the direction and the magnitude of the effect depends upon the frequency used, time under exposure, and the moment in which the exposure takes place.

Indexed as

AttentionCognitionPain PerceptionAcoustic StimulationAnxietyAuditory PerceptionHumans

Identifiers

PMID30073406

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.