audio-visual entrainment
Research Papers
A Controlled Comparison of Audio-Visual Entrainment for Treating Seasonal Affective Disorder
Introduction. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects up to 6% of the population, primarily in the winter months and at higher latitudes. Methods. Light-box therapy has been the traditional intervention for SAD, where the individual is exposed to a bright light for substantial periods in an effort to replace the lack of sunshine. Audio-visual entrainment (AVE) is a technique using flashing lights through a pair of specially designed glasses and pulses of tones through headphones. The expectation of AVE is to affect brain wave activity through auditory and visual stimulation at specific frequencies. The objective of this study was to determine if AVE is a viable treatment for SAD. The study involved 74 participants in a comparison design with a control group (no flashing lights or pulsed tones) and an AVE group that received a placebo treatment (AVE at 1 Hz flashing lights and pulsed tones) for 2 weeks, followed by an active treatment phase (20 Hz flashing lights and pulsed tones) for another 2 weeks. Results. The results indicated that the placebo phase produced mild reductions in depression and no improvements in anxiety sensitivity, whereas 20 Hz AVE reduced both depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion. The 20 Hz AVE treatment condition also produced significant improvements in social life with the family and at work, and increased happiness and energy. The 20 Hz treatment also produced a significant decrease in eating, appetite, and carbohydrate intake.
View Full Paper →QEEG Correlates of Auditory-Visual Entrainment Treatment Efficacy of Refractory Depression
Introduction. It is well established that the number of people diagnosed and suffering from depression is on the increase. Many of these patients are not responsive to first-line pharmacological intervention or simply cannot use medications for other reasons. As such, there has been a growing need for nonmedication approaches to treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of auditory-visual EEG entrainment (AVE) at a 14 Hz (beta) frequency to decrease symptoms of depression with corresponding changes in neurophysiology. Method. Sixteen participants ranged in age from 20 to 67 years and were screened utilizing the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and broken into two groups of 8 (simulated, AVE treatment groups), with a cross-over design. Both groups were given the BDI-II and QEEG testing at baseline, 4 weeks following either AVE or simulated treatment, and then again after an additional 4 weeks and a switch in treatment in the cross-over design. Results. Results revealed significant reduction of depression only after the 4 weeks on AVE therapy of the BDI-II scores (p > .01). QEEG scores adjusted for normal age deviations demonstrate significant EEG change scores over time in cortical regions associated with mood regulation. Conclusion. The findings indicate that AVE therapy may be aviable nonmedication therapeutic intervention.
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