Effects of Inaudible Theta Binaural Beat on Brain Waves

Auditory binaural beats (BBs) stimulation is a method used to support the assumption that artificial external stimuli can generate specific brain waves. This study aimed to examine the effects of BBs that induce brain waves only based on a different frequency using an inaudible baseline frequency. The experiment was conducted among 18 adults in their 20s (11 male and 7 female). A baseline frequency of 18,000[Formula: see text]Hz and BBs with a difference frequency of 5[Formula: see text]Hz was presented, and the changes in electroencephalogram were observed. Power spectrum analysis was performed, and the absolute power of the theta-band frequency range (4–7[Formula: see text]Hz) was averaged. Absolute theta power was compared between phases without binaural beats (non-BBs) and with binaural beats ([Formula: see text]-BBs) using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Theta waves in [Formula: see text]-BBs significantly increased in most brain regions (central, parietal, temporal, and occipital) compared to those in non-BBs. This study is significant because it focused solely on the effects of the BBs-inducing theta waves using a frequency difference, excluding the effect of sound perception.