Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39851371›Full record

ReviewBrain sciences2024

Physiological Entrainment: A Key Mind-Body Mechanism for Cognitive, Motor and Affective Functioning, and Well-Being.

Marco Barbaresi, Davide Nardo, Sabrina Fagioli

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Brain sciences, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Dual-Task Interference Increases Variability in Sub-Second Repetitive Motor Timing.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025
    Article
  6. Review
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.

Marco BarbaresiDepartment of Education, "Roma Tre" University, 00185 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0009-0008-7950-9884
Davide NardoDepartment of Education, "Roma Tre" University, 00185 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-8158-5738
Sabrina FagioliDepartment of Education, "Roma Tre" University, 00185 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6381-0989

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe human sensorimotor system can naturally synchronize with environmental rhythms, such as light pulses or sound beats. Several studies showed that different styles and tempos of music, or other rhythmic stimuli, have an impact on physiological rhythms, including electrocortical brain activity, heart rate, and motor coordination. Such synchronization, also known as the "entrainment effect", has been identified as a crucial mechanism impacting cognitive, motor, and affective functioning.

objectivesThis review examines theoretical and empirical contributions to the literature on entrainment, with a particular focus on the physiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon and its role in cognitive, motor, and affective functions. We also address the inconsistent terminology used in the literature and evaluate the range of measurement approaches used to assess entrainment phenomena. Finally, we propose a definition of "physiological entrainment" that emphasizes its role as a fundamental mechanism that encompasses rhythmic interactions between the body and its environment, to support information processing across bodily systems and to sustain adaptive motor responses.

methodsWe reviewed the recent literature through the lens of the "embodied cognition" framework, offering a unified perspective on the phenomenon of physiological entrainment.

resultsEvidence from the current literature suggests that physiological entrainment produces measurable effects, especially on neural oscillations, heart rate variability, and motor synchronization. Eventually, such physiological changes can impact cognitive processing, affective functioning, and motor coordination.

conclusionsPhysiological entrainment emerges as a fundamental mechanism underlying the mind-body connection. Entrainment-based interventions may be used to promote well-being by enhancing cognitive, motor, and affective functions, suggesting potential rehabilitative approaches to enhancing mental health.

Indexed as

EEGembodied cognitionmind–body connectionneural entrainmentrhythmic entrainment

Identifiers

PMID39851371
PMCPMC11763407

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Registered trials

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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.