- A brand-new system tracks brain waves to offer a feedback system that might help individuals accomplish more powerful cognition and efficiency.
- The authors of the research study imagine making use of safe, noninvasive stimuli to motivate preferred brain states.
- The research study discovered that listening to music and drinking coffee can prompt greater levels of beta band power in brain waves.
Many researchers hope that artificial intelligence and expert system (AI) might one day offer tools with which we can improve our sense of wellness and cognitive efficiency in our lives and at work.
In pursuit of this, a brand-new research study from NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering explains their MINDWATCH algorithm, which non-invasively records brain-state information.
MINDWATCH evaluates an individual’s brain activity from information gathered by a wearable gadget on their wrist and from a headband.
In the research study, the scientists triggered various brain states utilizing what they call “safe actuators.” These consisted of noises, tastes, and smells.
The research study examined the promo of “beta band” brain wave activity connected with optimum cognitive efficiency utilizing safe actuators.
The scientists discovered that listening to music and drinking coffee were both connected to more powerful beta band activity. They likewise checked fragrance, which lowered beta band power from standard however increased efficiency levels in other cognitive tests.
One of the fascinating findings of the research study is that AI-generated music produced more powerful beta band signals than typically produced music.
The research study is released in
Continually oscillating electrical voltages in the brain are described as brain waves. There are 5 acknowledged rates, or “frequencies,’ at which they oscillate from their lowest to their highest voltages:
- gamma band waves — oscillate at a frequency above 35 Hertz (Hz), or more than 35 times per second. Previous research associates gamma waves with the mental act of concentrating.
- beta band waves — oscillate from 12 to 35 Hz. This band has been linked to anxiety, attentiveness, and being mentally active.
- alpha band waves — have a frequency of 8 to 12 Hz, and are linked to paying passive attention and being relaxed.
- theta band waves — have a frequency of 4 to 8 Hz and are associated with being very relaxed, with one’s focus turned inward.
- delta band waves — occur during sleep and have a frequency of .5 to 4 Hz.
In the new study, the researchers found differently shaped relationships between beta band power and performance in different individuals.
In one participant, the relationship was linear, with higher beta band power associated with higher performance. However, in another participant, the relationship was an inverted U-shape, meaning a moderate beta band power was associated with maximum performance for them. The authors highlighted that these results show the need for an individualized understanding of a person’s brainwave patterns to interpret findings.
The impact of music, coffee, and perfume
Going a step further, the authors of the study exposed participants to three safe actuators: music, coffee, and perfume.
The researchers found that listening to music of various genres produced a consistent increase in beta band activity, with AI-produced music resulting in the strongest effect.
Drinking coffee also resulted in a significant boosting of signals in the beta band, while smelling perfume dropped the beta band power, but improved performance in other measures.
The study’s success with AI-produced music shows that a safe actuator such as music can be optimized for increasing beta band activity.
“In this research, we utilized deep-learning neural networks to compose new music based on music preferred by each individual,” said Dr. Hamid Fekri Azgomi, lead author of the paper.
“Our approach involved exposing subjects to renowned, soothing music tracks to gauge their personal inclinations,” he informed Medical News Today.
The individuals were asked to recognize their choices utilizing examples from 3 musical datasets: symphonic music, consisting of works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Frédéric François Chopin; “fantasy music” consisting of music from computer game such as Final Fantasy and Mario; and jazz, which included tunes by Frank Sinatra and other jazz artists.
Senior author Dr. Rose T. Faghih explained the MINDWATCH innovation permits wearable gadgets to run as brain-computer user interfaces. The objective is to “decode internal brain states of cognitive arousal and performance, making it feasible to track and improve these cognitive states for everyday life applications.”
According to Dr. Faghih, “Autonomic nervous system activations result in microvariations in sweat activity, which lead to changes in the electrical conductance of skin that can be measured using some wearable devices.”
In the research study, scientists utilized Empatica E4 wristbands and Muse headbands to record and observe the individuals’ brain waves.
Dr. Faghih said they hope that this noninvasive ways of keeping an eye on brain wave activity might one day deal “personalized enhancement of cognitive well-being and performance in diverse contexts through noninvasive means.”
Dr. Faghih said that other safe actuations under factor to consider are relaxing visual stimuli — possibly pictures of tranquil landscapes — meditation, mild vibrations, or haptic feedback, virtual reality innovations, and PARO healing robotic experiences.
“MINDWATCH aims to eventually enable real-time regulation of cognitive arousal and performance states for improving mood and performance in a personalized, adaptive, and robust manner,” said Dr. Faghih.
In addition, the scientists hope their system will “fill the existing gap of the lack of publicly available datasets” for usage by artificial intelligence.
Although this research study concentrates on beta band findings, Dr. Azgomi said, “our extensive dataset can enable future investigation by other researchers for other significant features.”
“These untapped insights hold the potential to enrich our comprehension of human neurophysiology, offering a more holistic understanding of cognitive dynamics.”
— Dr. Hamid Fekri Azgomi
