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High and low pitch sound stimuli effects on heart-brain coupling

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Abstract

This study aimed to explore the influence of sound stimulation on heart rate and the potential coupling between cardiac and cerebral activities. Thirty-one participants underwent exposure to periods of silence and two distinct continuous, non-repetitive pure tone stimuli: low pitch (110 Hz) and high pitch (880 Hz). Electroencephalography (EEG) data from electrodes F3, F4, F7, F8, Fp1, Fp2, T3, T4, T5, and T6 were recorded, along with R-R interval data for heart rate. Heart-brain connectivity was assessed using wavelet coherence between heart rate variability (HRV) and EEG envelopes (EEGE). Heart rates were significantly lower during high and low-pitch sound periods than in silence (p < 0.002). HRV-EEGE coherence was significantly lower during high-pitch intervals than silence and low-pitch sound intervals (p < 0.048), specifically between the EEG Beta band and the low-frequency HRV range. These results imply a differential involvement of the frontal and temporal brain regions in response to varying auditory stimuli. Our findings highlight the essential nature of discerning the complex interrelations between sound frequencies and their implications for heart-brain connectivity. Such insights could have ramifications for conditions like seizures and sleep disturbances. A deeper exploration is warranted to decipher specific sound stimuli’s potential advantages or drawbacks in diverse clinical scenarios.

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Funding

The research conducted by authors Osmar Pinto Neto and Ovidiu Constantin Baltatu was supported by scholarships provided by the Anima Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade do Vale do Paraíba, (UNIVAP), São José dos Campos, Brazil

    Camila Bomfim von Jakitsch, Wellington Ribeiro & Rodrigo Aléxis Lazo Osório

  2. Center of Innovation, Technology and Education (CITE), Anhembi Morumbi University – Anima Institute, São José dos Campos Technology Park, São José dos Campos, Brazil

    Osmar Pinto Neto & Ovidiu Constantin Baltatu

  3. Arena235 Research Lab, São José dos Campos, Brazil

    Osmar Pinto Neto & Tatiana Okubo Rocha Pinho

  4. Integrative Physiology Research Center, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia (UESB), Jequie, Brazil

    Rafael Pereira

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  1. Camila Bomfim von Jakitsch
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Data collection was performed by Camila Bomfim vonJakitsch. Material preparation was performed by Osmar Pinto Neto, Camila Bomfim vonJakitsch, Tatiana Okubo Rocha Pinho, and Rafael Pereira. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Osmar Pinto Neto, Rafael Pereira and Ovidiu Constantin Baltatu; all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Osmar Pinto Neto.

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Camila Bomfim von Jakitsch and Osmar Pinto Neto contributed equally as the first author.

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von Jakitsch, C.B., Pinto Neto, O., Pinho, T.O.R. et al. High and low pitch sound stimuli effects on heart-brain coupling. Biomed. Eng. Lett. 14, 331–339 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13534-023-00340-5

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