This page is dedicated to recent studies about music and health.
.
.
1. Alzheimer’s Disease – 40Hz Gamma Stimulation
A decade of studies provide a growing evidence base that increasing the power of the brain’s gamma rhythms could help fight Alzheimer’s, and perhaps other neurological diseases, such as dementia.
David Orenstein | MIT | The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, March 14, 2025.
A new wave of treatment for Alzheimer’s disease
Professor Li-Huei Tsai studies how brain waves can be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. According to Professor Li, 40Hz gamma wave is the best solution.
2. Anxiety – 10 Hz Alpha frequency
In Dr. James Hardt’s book The Art of Smart Thinking, he showcases how the increased production of alpha brainwaves can not only reduce stress and anxiety but allow people to maintain more focus. In the article Anxiety Change Through Electroencephalographic Alpha Feedback Seen Only in High Anxiety Subjects, Dr. Hardt suggests that long-term alpha feedback training may be useful in anxiety therapy.
3. Autism
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication, interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests.
Istvan Molnar-Szakacs, a researcher at the UCLA found music is a useful tool for exploring the ability of children with ASD to identify emotions in musical excerpts and facial expressions. Jeff Strong, founder of Brain Shift Radio shows how listening to fast, complex drumming can calm the brain of children with ASD in just minutes.
Research found that people with autism have less alpha and beta brain waves. Music solution for ASD is the alternative use of alpha and beta binaural beats and use fast, complex drumming with varying tempo.
4. ADHD
American Academy of Pediatrics uses theta/beta ratio to help assess attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). People with ADHD are reported to have higher ratio (increased theta and decreased beta). Professor Colzato of Leiden University identified that gamma activity was weaker in the ADHD group. They found that the 40Hz gamma waves are better than the 18Hz beta waves in ADHD music therapy. Here is a sample of the video with gamma frequency background.
Most patients with ADHD brains have a common brainwave pattern that consist of an abundance of slow (delta or theta) waves and a shortage of fast (beta) waves. This means they have a high theta to beta ratio. Music solution for ADHD is the use of 40Hz gamma waves for adults, and the 18Hz beta waves for children and younger people.
5. Bradycardia
A study by Maya and Kimberly showed that classical music and music with tempo of 60 BPM can slow down heart rates and blood pressure, while music with 80 to 130 BPM can increase heart rates and blood pressure. Here is a sample of video with 130 BPM background.
In the article “Using Music to Tune the Heart” published by Harvard Health Publishing on Au 26, 2019 the author observed tremendous impact on heart disease patients. For example: At Massachusetts General Hospital, a nurse-led team found that heart patients confined to bed who listened to music for 30 minutes had lower blood pressure, slower heart rates, and less distress than those who didn’t listen to music. Another nurse-led team at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee found that heart attack survivors who listened to restful music in a quiet environment for just 20 minutes were less anxious about their health than those who rested in a quiet room without music. At Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, men and women who listened to music soon after undergoing cardiac surgery were less anxious and reported having less pain than those who just rested quietly.
In 2008, the Journal of Hospital Marketing and Public Relations reported that binaural beats of 20 Hz beta frequency can increase the heart rates and blood pressure.
6. Chronic Fatigue
According to Yale University, Mitochondria dysfunction may hold keys to chronic fatigue syndrome. Recent study by Dr. Jason of DePaul University has shown that stress contributes to chronic fatigue syndrome. In 2018, a study by Columbia University shows that increased stress leads to mitochondrial damage in regions of the brain such as the hippocampus and cortex. There are no existing studies of music therapy in CFS, but it has been proven effective in patients with related problems such as fibromyalgia and stress.
There are no existing studies of music therapy in CFS, but it has been proven effective in patients with related problems such as fibromyalgia and stress. Purple Noise with alpha (9.76Hz) frequency is recommended.
7. Depression
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Research found that when there is an increase in alpha brain waves, we may feel fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety. A new study from the University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine has identified the first evidence that a low dose of electric current of 10-hertz can enhance the alpha brain wave activity and boosts creativity by 7.4 percent in healthy adults.
Leila Chaieb at University of Bonn found that binaural beats with 10Hz frequency difference can help people with depression improve sleep patterns. Here is a sample of video with 10Hz alpha background music.
8. Down Syndrome
Down syndrome，also called Trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. In 1988, Varney of Virginia Commonwealth University completed a study of alpha binaural beats on children with Down syndrome in weekly one-hour intervention sessions for a period of 4-5 weeks. All demonstrated greater improvement in imitation of gestures, facial expressions, and spontaneous use of two-word phrases. Professor Colzato of Leiden University identified that gamma binaural beats help improve Feature Binding of Down syndrome patients. Pastor and Pantev found it helps improving Neural Synchronization.
9. Hypertension
Hypertension also called high blood pressure, is a condition when blood pressure is higher than normal. A 2008 study by the American Heart Association found that listening to nature sounds can lower blood pressure. Research found that listening to fast music (tempo of 130 BPM or higher) increases blood pressure, whereas, listening to slower music (60BPM) has the opposite effect.
Music solution for hypertension is the nature sounds and the binaural beats, isochronic tones or monaural beats with alpha (10Hz) frequency.
10. Insomnia
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder. The UNSW study, published in Musicae Scientia identified that music with stable rhythms and lower frequencies is most successful in aiding sleep. Scientists led by Doctor Seth Blackshaw from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore found neurons that express the so-called Lhx6 gene may promote sleep by “switching off” other neurons. Music can help.
Music solution for sleeping disorder uses music that has a slow and stable rhythm, with low-frequency tones and relaxing melodies. They come with changing frequency tones from 7.83Hz to 6Hz then to 3Hz.
11. Migraine
Migraine is a neurologic disorder that often causes a strong headache. Scientists believe that low levels of a brain chemical called serotonin may make people susceptible to developing migraine headaches. Dr. Patterson and Capel in Marie Curie Cancer Memorial Hospital found that alpha brain waves boost the production of serotonin.
In some migraine patients, an MRI may show white spots on the brain. These spots are called white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), which are lesions in the brain visualized by areas of increased brightness. They can vary in size and location in areas of the brain.
A study found that abnormally firing neurons cause hyperexcitability in various regions of the brain is an appealing explanation for the complex variety of symptoms experienced by migraine patients.
12. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis means porous bone. It is a disease that weakens bones. Professor Leslie A. Lyons, Ph.D. found cats purr when they are stressed or injured. Lyons says “these are frequencies that promote healing”. Elizabeth von Muggenthaler, president-acoustics at the Fauna Communications Research Institute in North Carolina looked further into why a cat would waste energy purring. She demonstrated that cats purr during both inhalation and exhalation with a consistent pattern and frequency between 25 and 150 Hz. Studies found that nano-vibrational stimulation at 100Hz inhibits osteoclastogenesis and enhances osteogenesis.
Recent study found that low frequency (25 to 50Hz) vibration can promote bone marrow stromal cell differentiation and repair bone injury.
13. Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body. Recent research by Alexander Calvano at Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany found low theta brain waves and low function connectivity (FC) in patients with Parkinson’s disease. According to Calvano, clinic trial of signal stimulation using binaural beats with theta frequency proves helpful.
Music solution for Parkinson’s disease is using Binaural beats with theta frequency,and listening to relaxing music while sleeping.
14. Stress Relief
Stress is defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain. Professor Aza Allsop at Yale University School of Medicine found listening to music can reduce stress. The study, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, also found that both live and virtual music mindfulness sessions reduced stress and altered participants’ state of consciousness.
Research found that too much stress for too long has been linked to heart disease, stroke, and may also influence cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. Recent study links stress to cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, which has a 24-hour cycle that peaks around 8:00 to 9:00 am.
15. Tachycardia (Fast Heart Rate)
A study by Maya and Kimberly showed that classical music and music with tempo of 60 BPM can slow down heart rates and blood pressure. Professor Kulinski at the Medical College of Wisconsin said that music has many tremendous benefits on our cardiovascular system. Shumov’s study of 104 patients found that receiving binaural beats using delta frequencies significantly reduced their heart rates during day sleeping.
