LWhen you're stressed, what do you do to calm down or relax? If you're among the many who listen to music or other calming sounds, there just may be a scientific basis for why this works.
Lake Superior State University senior Daniel Arnold of Iron Mountain received an award (and a check, good for him!) for his research in LSSU laboratories on binaural beats.
If you haven't heard of them, you're not alone. They are a regular sound considered an auditory stimuli by hearing researchers, and Arnold used them to test what kind of response people have to hearing the sound.
He found that the beats don't have any effect on brainwaves, as sometimes proposed, but they do have the effect of decreasing a person's stress level. The project measured both brainwaves and sensors attached to a person's skin to measure stress levels.
The binaural beats might be used as part of treatments for stress-related disorders or disorders that cause a patient great stress, like anxiety disorder and Alzheimer's disease.
Arnold received the Best Laboratory-Based Project Award from
Bordertown Chiropractic, PC in Sault Ste. Marie. Doctors Rachael McCoy and Peter Scornaiencki from Bordertown presented the award and check to Arnold this spring.
"Bordertown Chiropractic is pleased to offer this award to Daniel," says McCoy, herself a LSSU grad. "He demonstrates excellence in undergraduate research on a topic of immediate importance to health. There were many excellent projects, but his work stood out."
Bordertown underwrote the award to support hands-on research for undergraduates in science fields.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Rachael McCoy, Bordertown Chiropractic
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.