First Longitudinal Study Using Binaural Beats on Parkinson Disease

Abstract

This paper describes a longitudinal study to analyze the effects of acoustic stimulation with Binaural Beats (BBs) at 14[Formula: see text]Hz (beta band) in patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Participants ([Formula: see text], age [Formula: see text], stage [Formula: see text] Hoehn and Yahr scale) listened to binaural stimulation for 10[Formula: see text]min a day, 3 days a week, during six months and were assessed 3 times during this period using electroencephalography (EEG), cognitive (PD-CRS), quality of life (PDQ-39) and wearing-off (WOQ-19) tests. During each assessment (basal, and after 3 and 6 months), the relative power in theta band was analyzed before, during and after the stimulation. Focusing the analysis on the motor cortex, the results obtained have confirmed the initial hypothesis for the first session, but they have shown a habituation effect which decreases its efficiency with time. Also, different reactions have been detected among individuals, with some reacting as expected from the beginning, while others would react in an opposite way at the beginning but they have shown afterwards a tendency towards the expected outcome. Anyhow, the relative power of the theta band was reduced between the first and the last session for more than half of the participants, although with very different values. Subtle changes have also been observed in some items of the PD-CRS, PDQ-39 and WOQ-19 tests.