Effects of a Single Audio-Visual Brain Entrainment Session on Heart Rate Variability: A Clinical Trial with 100 Adult Volunteers
Heart rate variability (HRV), the variation in time between consecutive heartbeats, plays a crucial role in cardiovascular health and stress resilience. Higher HRV is often associated with better autonomic balance, promoting overall well-being. This study explored the impact of a single session of Audio-Visual Brain Entrainment (ABE) using the BrainTap headset on HRV in a group of 100 adult volunteers.
The study involved 100 participants—50 men and 50 women—without hearing impairments. They underwent a 20-minute ABE session with the BrainTap headset, which delivered binaural beats (18 to 0.5 Hz), isochronic tones (18 to 0.5 Hz), and visual entrainment through LED lights at 470 nm flickering at the same frequency range. HRV was measured before and after the session using an advanced heart rate variability test system.
The session produced significant physiological changes. HRV Index increased by 21.8% (p<0.001), indicating improved autonomic balance. The RRNN interval (normal-to-normal R-R intervals), a key marker of HRV activity, rose by 6.8% (p<0.001). Notably, parasympathetic markers showed substantial enhancement: RMSSD (Root Mean Square of the Successive RR Interval Differences) increased by 32.2% (p<0.0001), NN50 (number of successive RR intervals differing by more than 50 ms) by 50.6% (p<0.0001), and pNN50% (percentage of NN50 divided by total RR intervals) by 51.6% (p<0.001). Additionally, the HFnu (High-Frequency Band, an index of parasympathetic activity) increased by 37.1% (p<0.0336), while the LFnu (Low-Frequency Band, an indicator of both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity) rose by 45.1% (p<0.0048).
Stress-related indicators also improved significantly. The Stress Index dropped by 38.4% (p<0.001), and heart rate (HR) decreased by 6.2% (p<0.0001), suggesting a pronounced relaxation response following the ABE session.
A single session of Audio-Visual Brain Entrainment using the BrainTap headset significantly increased heart rate variability (HRV), enhanced parasympathetic activity, and reduced stress markers, indicating a potential role in autonomic nervous system regulation and stress management.
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Figure 1 – Effects of ABE on Heart Rate Variability Index and RRNN (RR normal-to-normal intervals; a marker of overall HRV activity). Paired T-Test 95% with a confidence interval (Graphpad Prism software, USA).
