Role of visual brainwave entrainment on the resting state brainwaves of children with and without
Sandhya Basu1,2, Richa Phogat3, Mayur Jartarkar4
1Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, BITS Pilani, Zuarinagar, Goa, India.
Insights
Sensory entrainment altered brainwaves, impacting cognitive performance in children. The theta-beta ratio (TBR) strongly correlated with attention and memory, suggesting potential therapeutic applications for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neurophysiology
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is linked to cognitive challenges.
- Brainwave oscillations are implicated in ADHD symptom expression.
- Sensory stimulation techniques show promise for cognitive improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how sensory entrainment-induced brainwave changes affect children's cognitive performance.
- To explore correlations between brainwave metrics and cognitive scores.
- To determine the role of specific brainwave ratios in ADHD-related cognition.
Main Methods:
- Participants underwent sensory entrainment sessions.
- Brainwave power (theta, alpha, beta) differences and ratios were calculated post-entrainment.
- Correlations between brainwave data and psychometric scores (selective attention, working memory) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Beta resting state power correlated significantly with selective attention.
- Theta-beta ratio (TBR) inversely correlated with selective attention and working memory.
- Theta frequency was linked to reduced working memory in non-ADHD children.
- TBR was a stronger predictor of cognitive performance in ADHD children than the theta-alpha ratio.
Conclusions:
- Brainwave changes post-sensory entrainment influence cognitive functions in children.
- TBR is a key indicator of cognitive performance, particularly in ADHD.
- Individual differences in entrainment response depend on age, IQ, and baseline brainwaves.
- Findings support brainwave-based entrainment as a potential therapeutic approach for cognitive enhancement in children.
Abstract:
The relationship between brainwave oscillations and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-related cognitive challenges is a trending proposition in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience. Studies suggest the role of brainwave oscillations in the symptom expressions of ADHD-diagnosed children. Intervention studies have further suggested the scope of brain stimulation techniques in improving cognition. The current manuscript explored the effect of changes in the brainwaves post-sensory entrainment on cognitive performance of children. We calculated each participant's brainwave difference and ratios of theta, alpha, and beta power after the entrainment sessions. Further, we explored possible correlations between these values and the psychometric scores. The beta resting state showed the strongest association with selective attention performance of all participants. Theta-beta ratio (TBR) showed an inverse correlation with selective attention and working memory performances. The theta frequency was associated with decreased working performance in children without ADHD. Our findings also suggest a predominant role of TBR than the theta-alpha ratio in determining the cognitive performance of children with ADHD. The individual differences in the entrainment reception were attributed to the participant's age, IQ, and their innate baseline frequencies. The implications of our findings can initiate substantiating brainwave-based entrainment sessions as a therapeutic modality to improve cognition among children.
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