Impact of Audiovisual Brainwave Entrainment on Alpha Wave Activity: A Real-Time EEG Assessment

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of a 20-minute audiovisual brainwave entrainment session on alpha brainwave activity using continuous real-time electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring. Methods:The study was conducted at the Electrophysiology Laboratory of Sri Sri Neuro Centre in Warangal, Telangana.The research included 30 healthy participants aged 18 to 65 (male and female), with no neurological or psychiatric conditions.The BrainTap headset was used for audiovisual brain entrainment targeting alpha waves, and wave activity was measured before, during, and after the session.The EEG electrodes were placed in the left side of the occipital region (O1), in the right occipital region (O2), in the left frontal lobe (F3-C3) and in the right frontal lobe (F4-C4) for readings of brainwaves' amplitude, frequency and power.Results: Significant increases in alpha amplitude and power were observed during and after the session, particularly in the left (O1) and right (O2) occipital regions, with large effect sizes (all p < 0.0005).In the right frontal region (F4-C4), alpha activity also increased significantly, with medium to large effect sizes.Although changes in the left frontal region (F3-C3) were not statistically significant, moderate increases in amplitude, frequency, and power were noted.Exploratory analyses indicated that individuals with lower baseline alpha values showed greater increases, suggesting baseline activity may predict response to the intervention. Conclusions:This study demonstrates that a 20-minute session of audiovisual brainwave entrainment significantly increases alpha brainwave activity, particularly in individuals with low baseline levels.These findings support the potential of this non-invasive technique to enhance alpha activity and inform future applications for relaxation, mental clarity, and cognitive support.Further research is needed to explore its long-term benefits and applications..