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Gao 2014: Alpha-Frequency Brainwave Entrainment and Attentional Control

The 2014 study by Gao focuses on the impact of alpha-frequency brainwave entrainment on attentional control. Alpha-frequency brainwave entrainment involves synchronizing the brain’s electrical activity with a specific rhythm or frequency, in this case, the alpha frequency. The alpha frequency is typically associated with a relaxed, yet alert state of mind, and has been linked to various cognitive functions, including attentional control. In his research, Gao delves into the potential benefits of alpha-frequency brainwave entrainment on attentional control.

Attentional control refers to an individual’s capacity to choose what they pay attention to and what they ignore. The study hypothesizes that entraining the brain to the alpha frequency could potentially enhance attentional control. The research was conducted using EEG recordings to monitor brain activity and various tests to assess attentional control.

The findings of Gao’s study provide valuable insights into the potential of alpha-frequency brainwave entrainment to boost attentional control. The results suggest that this type of entrainment may indeed have a positive impact on attentional control. However, Gao also notes that further research is necessary to fully understand the implications of these results and to explore the potential for practical applications of alpha-frequency brainwave entrainment in improving attentional control.

Justin Handley

Justin Handley

Justin Handley is a multi-instrumentalist, technologist, and hobbyist neuro-scientist. He is half of the duo Silvermouse, the director of technology at the Monroe Institute, and the creater of the field of study he terms 'Sentiosonics'.

This is a review of the following article:

Analysis of EEG activity in response to binaural beats with different frequencies
By: Xiang Gao & Colleagues
When two coherent sounds with nearly similar frequencies are presented to each ear respectively with stereo headphones, the brain integrates the two signals and produces a sensation of a third sound called binaural beat (BB). Although earlier studies showed that BB could influence behavior and cognition, common agreement on the mechanism of BB has not been reached yet. In this work, we employed Relative Power (RP), Phase Locking Value (PLV) and Cross-Mutual Information (CMI) to track EEG changes during BB stimulations.

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