Abstract
AimThis study investigated the neural mechanisms of brain-wave music on sleep quality.BackgroundSleep disorders are a common health problem in our society and may result in fatigue, depression, and problems in daytime functioning. Previous studies have shown that brain-wave music generated from electroencephalography (EEG) signals could emotionally affect our nervous system and have positive effects on sleep. However, the neural mechanisms of brain-wave music on the quality of sleep need to be clarified.MethodsA total of 33 young participants were recruited and randomly divided into three groups. The participants listened to rapid eye movement (REM) brain-wave music (Group 1: 13 subjects), slow-wave sleep (SWS) brain-wave music (Group 2: 11 subjects), or white noise (WN) (Control Group: 9 subjects) for 20 min before bedtime for 6 days. EEG and other physiological signals were recorded by polysomnography.ResultsWe found that the sleep efficiency increased in the SWS group but decreased in REM and WN groups. The sleep efficiency in the SWS group was ameliorated [t(10) = −1.943, p = 0.076]. In the EEG power spectral density analysis, the delta power spectral density in the REM group and in the control group increased, while that in the SWS group decreased [F(2,31) = 7.909, p = 0.005]. In the network analysis, the functional connectivity (FC), assessed with Pearson correlation coefficients, showed that the connectivity strength decreased [t(10) = 1.969, p = 0.073] between the left frontal lobe (F3) and left parietal lobe (C3) in the SWS group. In addition, there was a negative correlation between the FC of the left frontal lobe and the left parietal lobe and sleep latency in the SWS group (r = −0.527, p = 0.064).ConclusionSlow-wave sleep brain-wave music may have a positive effect on sleep quality, while REM brain-wave music or WN may not have a positive effect. Furthermore, better sleep quality might be caused by a decrease in the power spectral density of the delta band of EEG and an increase in the FC between the left frontal lobe and the left parietal lobe. SWS brain-wave music could be a safe and inexpensive method for clinical use if confirmed by more data.
Highlights
Sleep disorders, affecting up to 30% of adults, are a common health problem in our society and may result in fatigue, depression, and problems in daytime functioning (Chang et al, 2012)
Brain-wave music has been applied in the treatment of orofacial pain, and the results showed that the brain-wave music and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) group had lower levels of pain perception than the control group
We found that after rapid eye movement (REM) brain-wave music or white noise (WN) listening, the power of delta band increased during sleep, and suggesting that these two kinds of music may have a negative effect on the deepening of sleep
Summary
Sleep disorders, affecting up to 30% of adults, are a common health problem in our society and may result in fatigue, depression, and problems in daytime functioning (Chang et al, 2012). Pharmacological treatment is helpful for people suffering from sleep disorders and has side effects, and some of these individuals could possibly turn to psychological treatment. As a non-pharmacological treatment, music can affect sleep disorders, as shown in a number of studies. In electroencephalography (EEG) studies using time-frequency analysis methods, Kusumandari et al (2018) demonstrated that music stimulation improved sleep quality. Sleep disorders are a common health problem in our society and may result in fatigue, depression, and problems in daytime functioning. Previous studies have shown that brain-wave music generated from electroencephalography (EEG) signals could emotionally affect our nervous system and have positive effects on sleep. The neural mechanisms of brain-wave music on the quality of sleep need to be clarified
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