40 Hz Binaural Beats Improve Mood and Cognition in Nursing Faculty and Students: A Feasibility Study

Gamma binaural beats (BB) entrainment has become more ubiquitous in recent decades, with studies showing improvements in mood and cognition. We aimed to investigate whether listening to 40 Hz BB could help mitigate mental stress and cognitive dissonance in a group of nursing faculty members and students. Participants listened to an auditory stimulus of 40 Hz BB for 15 minutes for a total of nine sessions over the duration of a three-week period. Mood and cognition were assessed with Brunel Mood Scale and Stroop’s test, respectively, before and after a 15-minute BB stimulation. The pre- and post-interventional study was conducted for the data analysis. The emotional states and cognitive performance of both groups were enhanced by 40 Hz BB entrainment. However, students benefited more from BB for navigating emotion, whereas faculty benefited more with the cognitive task. In addition, the enhancement mediated by BB improved over time among the students. Thus, 40 Hz BB seem to play a major role both in improving emotional well-being, as well as improving cognitive function, in an age-dependent manner. Implementing BB into daily routines as a part of stress management strategy may offer a low-cost noninvasive method to foster emotional stability and enhance cognitive performance.