The Effects of Music & Auditory Beat Stimulation on Anxiety
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
Anxiety is a growing problem and has been steadily increasing, particularly in the adolescent and young adult populations in the past 24 years. Music and auditory beat stimulation (ABS) in the theta frequency range (4-7 Hz) are sound-based anxiety treatments that have been independently investigated in prior studies. Here, the anxiety-reducing potential of calm music combined with theta ABS was examined in a large sample of participants. Participants taking anxiolytics (n = 163) were randomly assigned to a single 24-minute session of sound-based treatment: combined (music & ABS), music-alone, ABS-alone, or pink noise (control). Pre- and post-intervention somatic and cognitive state anxiety measures (STICSA State) were collected along with trait anxiety (STICSA Trait), personality measures (Short Form Eysenck Personality Inventory) and musical preferences (Short Test of Music Preferences).
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Detailed Description
In this study, the investigators examined and compared the effectiveness of ABS in the theta range, calm music playlist curated by an affective music recommendation system, and the combination of ABS and the same music to reduce anxiety and stress levels (as measured by the State Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA)) compared to a control condition (pink noise). Prior work has demonstrated that ABS and music both reduce anxiety when presented on their own. It is hypothesized that music with ABS will lead to significantly lower anxiety levels and increased calmness compared to the other experimental conditions. Approximately 163 participants were recruited from the Prolific online participant pool (https://www.prolific.co). The experiment was conducted on the Qualtrics survey platform, and the experimental treatment was provided with the LUCID Research App. After reading and agreeing with the consent form, participants provided their Prolific ID and then filled out the Short Test of Music Preferences (STOMP), Queen's Music Questionnaire, Anxiety coping method's questionnaire, Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the State Trait Inventory of Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA). Participants were also asked to list any medications currently being taken (including cannabis). Participants were then randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: (1) music; (2) music and auditory beat stimulation (ABS); (3) auditory beat stimulation (ABS) alone; or (4) pink noise for 24 minutes. Participants then received instructions on how to download the LUCID Research app on their iOS device or access the LUCID Research App through a virtual machine using their computer. Participants listened to their randomly assigned treatment for 24 minutes. Participants then completed their post-intervention questionnaires which included: the STICSA state version, SAM and PANAS. The investigators' hypotheses were that the combined, music alone and ABS alone conditions would experience a greater reduction in somatic and cognitive state anxiety compared to the pink noise control condition. These hypotheses were pre-registered using the Open Science Framework (Registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/VHCA5) and were based upon previous studies showing that ABS and music listening are capable of reducing anxiety. The investigators had no specific predictions for moderate and high trait anxiety participants, but their pre-registration noted their intention to recruit from both of these populations.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Music & Auditory Beat Stimulation Participants listened to calm music with theta auditory beat stimulation for 24 minutes |
Behavioral: Music & Auditory Beat Stimulation
Listening to calm music and auditory beat stimulation Participants listened to calm music with theta auditory beat stimulation for 24 minutes
|
| Active Comparator: Music Alone Participants listened to calm music for 24 minutes |
Behavioral: Music Alone
Listening to calm music Participants listened to calm music for 24 minutes
|
| Active Comparator: Auditory Beat Stimulation Participants listened to theta auditory beat stimulation for 24 minutes |
Behavioral: Auditory Beat Stimulation
Listening to theta auditory beat stimulation Participants listened to theta auditory beat stimulation for 24 minutes
|
| Sham Comparator: Pink Noise Participants listened to pink noise for 24 minutes |
Behavioral: Pink Noise
Listening to pink noise Participants listened to pink noise for 24 minutes
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Anxiety: State Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA) [24 minutes]
The State Trait Anxiety Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety has good reliability and validity as a measure of state and trait cognitive and somatic anxiety. The minimum score is 10 and the maximum is 40. Higher scores indicate higher anxiety (worse outcome). But in this study the post-intervention anxiety score is subtracted from the pre-intervention anxiety score, giving a measure of anxiety reduction. In the case of this anxiety reduction measure, higher anxiety reduction scores would indicate a better outcome.
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Mood: Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) [24 minutes]
The Positive and Negative Affect Scale has good reliability and validity and has been widely used in many studies to assess mood. This scale generates two scores: 1) Positive affect (higher score indicates a better outcome), scores range from 10-50. 2) Negative affect (higher score indicates worse outcome), scores range from 10-50.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
-
Adults (18+)
-
Must be taking anxiety medication
-
Self-identified normal hearing
-
No known cardiac issues
-
No known epilepsy/seizures
-
Have access to an iOS device (iPhone or iPad) to run the Research Application
Exclusion Criteria:
-
Adults younger than 18
-
Not taking anxiety medication
-
Have known cardiac issues
-
Do not have access to an iOS device (iPhone or iPad) to run the Research Application
-
Have known epilepsy/seizures
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryerson University | Toronto | Ontario | Canada | M5B 2K3 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Ryerson University
- Lucid, Inc.
- Mitacs
Investigators
- Study Director: Frank A Russo, PhD, Ryerson University
Study Documents (Full-Text)
More Information
Publications
- Bados A, Gómez-Benito J, Balaguer G. The state-trait anxiety inventory, trait version: does it really measure anxiety? J Pers Assess. 2010 Nov;92(6):560-7. doi: 10.1080/00223891.2010.513295.
- Bringman H, Giesecke K, Thörne A, Bringman S. Relaxing music as pre-medication before surgery: a randomised controlled trial. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2009 Jul;53(6):759-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-6576.2009.01969.x. Epub 2009 Apr 14.
- Davis WB, Thaut MH. The Influence of Preferred Relaxing Music on Measures of State Anxiety, Relaxation, and Physiological Responses. Journal of Music Therapy. 1989;26(4):168-87. doi: 10.1093/jmt/26.4.168.
- Gray EK, Watson, D. Assessing positive and negative affect via self-report. In: Coan JA, Allen, J.J.B., editor. Handbook of emotion elicitation and assessment. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2007.
- Grös DF, Antony MM, Simms LJ, McCabe RE. Psychometric properties of the State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA): comparison to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Psychol Assess. 2007 Dec;19(4):369-81.
- Isik BK, Esen A, Büyükerkmen B, Kilinç A, Menziletoglu D. Effectiveness of binaural beats in reducing preoperative dental anxiety. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2017 Jul;55(6):571-574. doi: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2017.02.014. Epub 2017 Mar 18.
- McConnell PA, Froeliger B, Garland EL, Ives JC, Sforzo GA. Auditory driving of the autonomic nervous system: Listening to theta-frequency binaural beats post-exercise increases parasympathetic activation and sympathetic withdrawal. Front Psychol. 2014 Nov 14;5:1248. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01248. eCollection 2014.
- Padmanabhan R, Hildreth AJ, Laws D. A prospective, randomised, controlled study examining binaural beat audio and pre-operative anxiety in patients undergoing general anaesthesia for day case surgery. Anaesthesia. 2005 Sep;60(9):874-7.
- Phillips SP, Yu J. Is anxiety/depression increasing among 5-25 year-olds? A cross-sectional prevalence study in Ontario, Canada, 1997-2017. J Affect Disord. 2021 Mar 1;282:141-146. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.178. Epub 2020 Dec 30.
- Wahbeh H, Calabrese C, Zwickey H. Binaural beat technology in humans: a pilot study to assess psychologic and physiologic effects. J Altern Complement Med. 2007 Jan-Feb;13(1):25-32.
- Watson D, Clark LA, Tellegen A. Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: the PANAS scales. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1988 Jun;54(6):1063-70.
- Yusim A, Grigaitis J. Efficacy of Binaural Beat Meditation Technology for Treating Anxiety Symptoms: A Pilot Study. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2020 Feb;208(2):155-160. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001070.
- REB 2020-068