Binaural Beats Modulated Affected Emotions: Evidence From Simultaneous Electroencephalography-Functional MRI Study

Recent attention in future mobility is directed towards ensuring the comfort and mood of passengers in a vehicle. In this context, the modulation of affected emotions for passengers is gaining increased attention. In light of the previous studies, it has been suggested that adequate background audio noises can enhance multisensory cognitive performance. In this study, we were motivated to investigate whether binaural beats (BB) with background vehicle noises can modulate the affective mood of passengers in a vehicle. Simultaneously measured electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired to examine temporal and spatial alterations in brain activity caused by the sound stimuli. Our collected data presented significant changes in subjective emotional ratings in response to a subset of audio stimuli. The subsequent spatial and temporal features of brain activity supported the findings from behavioral data.