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International Medical Journal Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 1 - 3 , April 2016
NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
Effect of High-Resolution Audio Music Box Sound on EEG
Shoji Ito1), Toshihide Harada12), Marina Miyaguchi2), Fumiko Ishizaki1),
Chiho Chikamura2), Yuko Kodama2), Katsuyuki Niyada1),
Ryuta Yamamoto3), Yumiko Nitta4), Osamu Shiromoto2),
Satoshi Imaizumi2), Kohsaku Nitta5)
ABSTRACT
Objective: High-resolution audio music box sound has the possibility of music therapy with positive hypersonic effect.
Design: A clinical study.
Materials and Methods: Subjects were healthy young adults. They underwent EEG. They were exposed high-resolution audio
music box sound. Topographical EEG mapping was done with using VitalTracer and ATAMAPII programs as a new topographi-
cal brain mapping approach.
Results: α2 and β1 wave band power significantly increased with high-resolution audio music box sound. α wave band power
increased with high-resolution audio music box sound.
Conclusions: These results suspect that high-resolution audio music box sound has the effect of increasing of vigilance and
relaxation of the brain.
KEY WORDS
positive hypersonic effect, high-resolution audio music box sound, topographical EEG mapping, VitalTracer, ATAMAPII
Received on November 11, 2015 and accepted on February 26, 2016
1) Faculty of Health Sciences, Hiroshima Cosmopolitan University
5-13-18 Ujina-nishi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-0014, Japan
2) Graduate School of Comprehensive Scientific Research Program in Biological System Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima
1-1 Gakuen-machi, Mihara, Hiroshima 723-0053, Japan
3) Digifusion Japan Co. Ltd.
1-1-68 Futaba-no-sato, Higashi-ku, Hiroshima, 732-0057, Japan
4) Suzugamine Women’s College
4-6-18 Inokuchi, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima 733-8623, Japan
5) Shiraki-no-sato
230 Shiraki-cho Kogoshi, Asakita-ku, Hiroshima 739-1412, Japan
Correspondence to: Toshihide Harada
(e-mail: hartoshi@pu-hiroshima.ac.jp)
1
INTRODUCTION
High-resolution audio rendering of the sound of a natural stream
increases α wave on EEG and reduces sweat caused by mental stress1-6).
Brain activation with high-resolution audio has been investigated using
PET and EEG2,5-8). Hypersonic effect is a phenomenon in which sounds
containing significant quantities of non-stationary high-frequency com-
ponents above the human audible range (max. 20 kHz) activate the mid-
brain and diencephalon and evoke various physiological, psychological
and behavioral responses1-4). Inaudible high-resolution audio affects
brain activity. High-resolution audio exerts beneficial effect on physio-
logical functions determined by EEG and blood flow in the brain. The
role of biological system other than auditory air-conduction in the emer-
gence of hypersonic effect is suspected1-4,6,9-17). High-resolution audio
music box sound is considered to be helpful for music therapy with pos-
itive hypersonic effect. Here we investigated effect of high-resolution
audio music box sound on EEG.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study content and method were explained in detail to 15
healthy individuals (female, n = 10; male, n = 5; 20.4 ± 1.2 years old).
All of whom provided written consent to participate in the study, which
was approved by the Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Ethics
Committee. The study proceeded in accordance with the ethical princi-
ples established in the Declaration of Helsinki.
Subjects rested on the chair with closing eyes and underwent EEG
(Neurofax, Nihon Kohden, Tokyo, Japan). Electrode locations and
names were specified by the International 10-20 system. 19 recording
electrodes (plus ground and system reference) were used. They rested
for 4 minutes without sound. Thereafter they listened to high-resolution
audio music box sound or high-cut for 3 minutes randomly. Then they
rested for 2 minutes without sound. Thereafter they listened to high-res-
olution audio music box sound or high-cut for 3 minutes randomly.
The melody of high-resolution audio was part of the musical,
"HALKA" (written by Stanislaw Moniuszko in Poland). A vintage
Polyphone music box made in Germany over 100 years ago played the
music in Hiroshima city. 192 kHz sampling and 24-bit high-resolution
recording was done using microphone (B & K 4939-A-011, Brüel and
Kjær, Nærum, Denmark) and sound analyzer (B & K PULSE). The
C 2016 Japan Health Sciences University
& Japan International Cultural Exchange Foundation
Harada T. et al.
2
audio analyzer showed successful recording of high-resolution audio
music box sound. High-cut audio music box sound was produced by
passing this recording of high-resolution audio music box sound
through programmable low-pass filter with removing > 20-KHz sound
from high-resolution audio music box sound.
An experiment was done with doing a precise acoustic control in
the simple soundproof room. Sound measurement devices consisted of
microphone (B&K 4939-A-011) and sound analyzer (B&K PULSE).
The result of an analysis was indicated in the plasma display 60 inches.
A back ground noise was about 50 dB sound pressure level. A main
amplifier (Accuphase P7100, Accuphase, Yokohama, Japan) and a net-
work audio (pioneer N-50, Pioneer Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan) were used as
a audio player. Bilateral main speakers (JBL K2-S9500) were arranged
in 1.3 m interval. Subjects sited on the position of the apex of the equi-
lateral triangle. The main speakers included fixed Pioneer PT-R100 1.2
m-tall super twitter speakers those replay high resolution audio located
close to the ears of subjects. Each front of speakers was adjusted to face
the subjects. Subjects listened to the high-resolution audio music box
sound or high-cut while seated on a chair. The sound level was generat-
ed at 65-70 dBA on a chair.
Base line EEG was stable 5 second EEG of no sound. EEG of the
high-resolution audio music box sound or high-cut was stable 5 second
EEG of last 3 minutes of the high-resolution audio music box sound or
high-cut. Frequency mapping analysis was done with using VitalTracer
and ATAMAPII program (Kissei Comtec Co., Ltd., Matsumoto, Japan)
in occipital regions. Spectral analysis was performed over three frequen-
cy bands: 8-10 Hz (α1), 11-13 Hz (α2) and 14-20 Hz (β1). The power of
each frequency band and the power ratio of each frequency band to all
the frequency band (0.5-40 Hz) were determined.
Data are presented as means ± SD. The reliability of the results was
assessed using Student's t-test. Probability values of < 0.05 were regard-
ed as being statistically significant in all tests. All data were statistically
analyzed using SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics 19) software.
RESULTS
α wave emerge most in occipital regions. α1 wave band power
increased with high-resolution audio music box sound. α1 wave band
power decreased with high-cut audio music box sound. α2 wave band
power significantly increased with high-resolution audio music box
sound (P < 0.05) (Figure 1). α2 wave band power decreased with high-
cut audio music box sound. β1 wave band power significantly increased
with high-resolution audio music box sound (P < 0.05) (Figure 2). β1
wave band power decreased with high-cut audio music box sound.
The power ratio of α1 wave band increased with high-resolution
audio music box sound. The power ratio of α1 wave band decreased
with high-cut audio music box sound. The power ratio of α2 wave band
increased with high-resolution audio music box sound. The power ratio
of α2 wave band decreased with high-cut audio music box sound. The
power ratio of β1 wave band increased with high-resolution audio music
box sound. The power ratio of β1 wave band decreased with high-cut
audio music box sound. The power ratio of α wave band increased with
high-resolution audio music box sound. The power ratio of α wave band
decreased with high-cut audio music box sound.
DISCUSSION
The EEG has been used for neuroscience1-4,6,9). EEG is sensitive to a
continuum of states ranging from stress state, alertness to resting state,
hypnosis, and sleep1-4,6,9). The EEG is the complex irregular oscillation
changing with time, so the spectral analysis was developed as a method
of quantifying EEGs. Furthermore the progress of computer technology
recently enabled us to analyze EEGs automatically. Electronic devices
used for VitalTracer and ATAMAPII are portable. Then these programs
can be employed in psychophysiological studies for aged or handi-
capped persons.
α is the frequency range from 7 Hz to 14 Hz1-4,6,9). Hans Berger
named the first rhythmic EEG activity he saw as the "α wave". α activi-
ty is an indicator of memory and cognition. Thalamo-cortical and cor-
tio-cortical networks play an important role in the generation of α rhyth-
micity. During normal state of wakefulness with open eyes β wave is
dominant. In relaxation or drowsiness α activity rises and if sleep
appears θ and δ waves increase. During normal state of wakefulness
with close eyes α2 and β1 waves are dominant at occipital regions
among young healthy subjects. During normal state of wakefulness with
close eyes α1 wave is dominant at occipital regions among elderly
healthy subjects. In this study, α2 and β1 wave band power significantly
increased with high-resolution audio music box sound among healthy
subjects with close eyes. Then we considered that increasing of wake-
fulness was occurred with high-resolution audio music box sound. This
situation appears to be both relaxing and adequately activation of brain.
In previous study, we already reported that some of classic music made
both relaxation and adequate stress and that in brain cortex some classic
music made fruitful concentration and attention2,5-8). We also reported
that high-resolution audio music box sound appeared to generate benefi-
cial concentration and attention in the cortex of the brain and that
music-box classic music sound containing high-resolution audio also
exerted beneficial effects on physiological functions determined by
blood flow in the brain1-4,6, 9-17). Our study supports these positive hyper-
sonic effect of high-resolution audio music box sound. α and β wave
band power and the power ratio of α and β wave band decreased with
high-cut audio music box sound. We speculated that a level of wakeful-
ness with close eyes decreased with high-cut audio music box sound.
The definite difference of the power ratio of each frequency band
was not shown in this study with high-resolution audio music box
Figure 1. α2 wave band power significantly increased with
high-resolution audio music box sound (P < 0.05). α2
wave band power decreased with high-cut audio music
box sound.
Figure 2. β1 wave band power significantly increased with
high-resolution audio music box sound (P < 0.05). β1
wave band power decreased with high-cut audio music
box sound.
Effect of High-Resolution Audio Music Box Sound on EEG 3
sound. This is because that during normal state of wakefulness with
close eyes α and β waves are dominant at occipital regions. The other
wave is rear, then the power ratio of α and β wave band is already fixed.
The value of changes is not so large as make definite difference of the
power ratio of each frequency band. Though the tendency above-men-
tioned is the results of group analysis, in individual some subjects had
the definite differences, and the other had no differences. As for this, we
speculated that the effect of high-resolution audio music box sound had
difference among the subjects. But we could not clarify the cause of the
results.
How high-resolution audio music box sound produces a physiologi-
cal effect on brain activity is still unknown, there are some explana-
tions1-6). One is that high-resolution audio music box sound might
change the response characteristics of the tympanic membrane in the
ears and produce more realistic acoustic perception, which might
increase pleasantness. Another explanation is that the increased feeling
of comfort by being exposed to the supersonic sound is not caused by
the direct effects, but rather by canceling the adaptation of the hearing
senses. The other explanation is that high-resolution audio music box
sound might be conveyed through pathways distinct from the usual
air-conducting auditory pathway and therefore might affect the deep-ly-
ing brain structure. Human body has a number of receptors enabling the
perception of acoustic waves. On the skin surface there are numerous
vibration and touch detectors. It was reported that the vibratory stimulus
of ultrasound modulated by the human voice activated the primary audi-
tory cortex and was successfully recognized by people with normal
hearing as well as those whose hearing is totally impaired. Recently evi-
dence has accumulated that stimuli outside the frequency and amplitude
boundaries of an auditory neuron’s receptive field can influence
responses to stimuli inside the classical receptive field determined with
pure tone stimuli. In our study, high-resolution audio music box sound
is considered to benefit brain function with positive hypersonic effects.
This is the first report to describe the effect of high-resolution audio
music box sound on EEG. Though we can't conclude the neural mecha-
nisms incorporating high-resolution audio music box sound, in the
future, we will study with young and middle subjects whose hearing is
totally impaired. And we will clarify the effect of high-resolution audio
music box sound on prevention of arteriosclerosis as the possibility of
music therapy with middle and elderly subjects. We also will clarify the
effect of high-resolution audio music box sound on early-stage
Alzheimer disease. If some other factor is dominant, it would be inde-
pendent of high-resolution sound and so efforts to improve sound quali-
ty should be focused on this factor rather than on high-resolution sound.
Further study is needed to confirm these problems.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We express our deep gratitude to all people who cooperated in this
survey. This research was supported by Grant of "Hiroshima medical
allied industry cluster: the medical, welfare innovation promotion field-
the actual proof field using the network of medical, welfare university"
and "the compensation small and medium-sized enterprises, a small-
scale business proprietor manufacturing, commerce, service innovative
business in the 25th year of Heisei (the 2015th year) (Digifusion Japan
Co. Ltd was entrusted )".
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