Journal of Clinical Research & Bioethics

Abstract

Binaural Beat Stimulation Improves Stuttering Symptoms

Dmytro Chernetchenko*, Pramax Prasolov, Sam Aganov, Andrii Voropai, Yuliia Polishchuk, Dmytro Lituiev and Eugene Nayshtetik

Background: Stuttering is a speech disorder that affects more than 70 million people worldwide, limiting their ability to communicate and socialize. In recent decades, several studies have demonstrated a link between stuttering and abnormal Electroencephalographic (EEG) β-power in cortex during speech preparation and production.

Aim: This study investigated the efficacy of a novel auditory neuromodulating technology that leverages euphonic music tracks with broad-spectrum binaural beats to induce selective EEG spectral power changes.

Methods: Adults with Stuttering (AWS, n=6) and participants from the control group without speech pathologies (n=6) were exposed to binaural stimuli for 5 minutes. EEG and Electrocardiographic (ECG) bio-signals were recorded before, during, and after exposure.

Results: During standard reading tasks without stimulation, in controls but not in the AWS group, β-power was significantly higher in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere. After stimulation, the power of the β-band in AWS participants in the left hemisphere increased 1.54-fold, while changes in the right hemisphere activity were not significant. The average β-band power within the left front temporal area and temporoparietal junction of the cortex after stimulation in AWS participants shows an increase by 1.65-fold and 1.72-fold respectively. The rate of disfluency dropped significantly immediately after stimulation (median 74.70% of the baseline rate), but the effect was not significantly different from the baseline 10 min later. Similarly, the speech rate significantly increased immediately after stimulation (median 133.15%) but it was not significantly different 10 min later. Furthermore, we found significant correlations of experimental boost of β-power in left temporoparietal projection (Spearman ρ=-0.54) and left front temporal area (Spearman ρ=-0.58) with disfluency rate of speech.

Conclusion: We show for the first time that auditory binaural beat stimulation can substantially improve speech fluency in AWS, and its effect is proportional to boost in EEG β-band power in left front temporal and temporoparietal junction of cortex. Changes in β power were detected immediately after exposure and persisted for 10 min. Additionally, these effects were accompanied by a reduction in stress levels, as monitored by ECG markers. This suggests that auditory binaural beat stimulation temporarily improves speech quality in AWS by increasing the EEG β-band power.

Published Date: 2023-02-03; Received Date: 2022-11-28