Sound therapy balances brain signals, researcher says
MONDAY, Sept. 19, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A new sound-based therapy appears to reduce blood pressure and ease migraine symptoms, according to a pair of small studies presented at the American Heart Association’s Council on Hypertension 2016 Scientific Sessions, held from Sept. 14 to 17 in Orlando, Fla.
The therapy initially reads brain activity through scalp sensors. That activity is then converted into a series of audible tones. The tones are then reflected back to the brain through earbuds in a matter of milliseconds, Charles Tegeler, M.D., a professor of neurology with Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C., told HealthDay.
One study found that 10 men and women achieved significant reductions in their blood pressure after an average of 17.7 sessions over 10.2 in-office days. These patients reduced systolic blood pressure from 152 to 136 mm Hg, on average. The diastolic pressure decreased from an average of 97 to 81 mm Hg.
In the other study, researchers examined 52 adult migraine sufferers, providing them 15.9 sessions on average over nine in-office days. Two weeks after the therapy, patients reported improvements for insomnia, mood, and headaches, the researchers found.
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