A virtual training environment using binaural beats as a possible add-on principle for stroke rehabilitation

Abstract

Stroke rehabilitation puts a tremendous amount of effort, time, and money into find- ing adequate implementations of training procedures to help meet the challenges of cognitive deficits caused by the disease. Yet, there is little consideration for the func- tional implications involving the interaction and incentives of novel auditory stimulation. The thesis examines healthy participants’ ability to maintain attentional focus and their performance during a goal-oriented task when exposed to auditory stimulation. In particular, the work studies the effect of ’Binaural Beats’ (BB) on vigilance and goal-directed behavior as a possible principle for stroke rehabilitation. Recent studies suggest that binaural gamma beats (40 Hz) support cognitive function by entraining neural oscillations, making it a promising application for rehabilitation training. We collected performance metrics from a remote virtual training applica- tion (inspired by Rehabilitation Gaming System) in this work. We conducted an experiment with healthy subjects using a repeated measure crossover design. The results show that subjects had a better performance when exposed to BB in the second session than when exposed in the first session. The author attributes this difference to training in subsequent days, familiarity effect, and exposure to BB. Hence, the results suggest that the better performance, when exposed to BB in the second session, stems from consolidation and learning mechanisms that facilitate BB’s neural entrainment efficiency. Therefore, the author stresses the importance of exposing subjects to BB in a training session after a regular training session without BB. Based on these results, the thesis proposes novel design strategies that can be incorporated into novel stroke therapies.