Music to focus, relax, meditate or sleep

Here is a link to a new research report from Brain.fm, describing data from behavioral experiments ('testing attention using games').

The neuroimaging is almost done, but in the meantime we decided to post the behavioral portion only, to get feedback from the community.

What did we do?

  • We tested several hundred people on a standard sustained-attention task.
  • In the background they heard one of several possible versions of identical music with and without Brain.fm technology (and variations of settings).

What was the result?

  • In two experiments, we show performance benefits due to adding Brain.fm technology.
  • Some parameters work better than others; we found best performance with the parameters used by Brain.fm. Other parameter settings worked less well.
  • Those with a higher level of self-reported symptoms of ADHD tended to perform better with more intense beta modulation.

Why is this important?

  • These results suggest optimal parameters for adding Brain.fm technology to background music.
  • The data are consistent with theories of oscillatory dynamics that relate auditory stimulation to behavior.
  • We demonstrate the need for a personalized approach in creating functional music for everyday use.

Please have a read!
Send comments to research@brain.fm


Written by

Kevin J.P. Woods, PhD
Director of Science, Brain.fm