Acute Effects of Binaural Beats on Interoception in Individuals WITH Symptoms of Depression

This study investigated the potential of Binaural Beats (BB) stimulations at Beta (20 Hz) and Gamma (40 Hz) frequencies to alter interoceptive accuracy (IAcc) and sensibility (ISen) in individuals with depressive symptoms. Fifty-two individuals (34 females, with mean age of 22.7 ± 5.06 years) were included. Following an initial assessment, participants underwent two periods of BB stimulation followed by Heartbeat Counting Tasks (HCT). The results demonstrated that acute BB stimulation at Beta and Gamma frequencies did not significantly alter IAcc and ISen in young adults with symptoms of depression. Despite slight reductions in heart rate (HR) during Beta (81.55 ± 13.54 bpm) and Gamma (81.11 ± 13.54 bpm) stimulation compared to the baseline resting moment (85.44 ± 13.89 bpm), the results suggest that the BB at these frequencies also did not change HR. This study indicates the need for further investigation to adapt stimulation techniques to meet the specific needs of patients with depressive symptoms.