Music and neuroacoustic stimulation induce calm alertness via right-frontal beta2 asymmetry.

Abstract

Music-based interventions are increasingly applied in performance, wellbeing, and stress-management contexts, yet rapid, self-administered neural markers of calm alertness-a state combining vigilance with emotional stability - remain insufficiently defined. This pilot study examined whether two contrasting auditory stimuli, atonal noise-music and 16-Hz binaural-beat music, modulate frontal beta asymmetry measured with a four-channel wearable EEG system, and whether this lateralized beta₂ activity reflects attentional engagement and early self-regulatory readiness. Ten healthy adults completed three eyes-closed conditions (Silence → Noise-music → Binaural-beat), while EEG was recorded at AF7/AF8 and TP9/TP10. Signals were filtered, segmented, and transformed using FFT, and beta₂ asymmetry was quantified as AIβ₂ = (AF8 - AF7)/(AF8 + AF7). Baseline-corrected changes were compared using repeated-measures statistics with FDR control. Neither auditory stimulus produced global alpha or beta power changes. However, both induced a consistent right-frontal beta₂ shift relative to silence (ΔAIβ₂ ≈  +0.125 for noise-music; ≈  +0.138 for binaural-beat), reflecting focal, lateralized modulation of attentional - salience systems. The pattern aligns with cognitive - affective characteristics of the Bányai active-alert model, in which self-suggestion and focused internal control emerge without relaxation. These findings demonstrate that minimal-sensor wearable EEG can detect micro-level attentional changes consistent with calm alertness and may function as a real-time marker for mental resilience and early stress recognition. Right-frontal beta₂ asymmetry appears sensitive to subtle fluctuations in attentional stability, supporting its use in personalized auditory protocols, resilience training, and high-demand performance environments. These findings also provide an objective electrophysiological bridge between neuroacoustic stimulation and active-alert suggestion states relevant to clinical hypnosis.