40 HzActive research
A decade of 40 Hz research at MIT
40 Hz light and sound reduced Alzheimer’s-related markers in mice. Early human studies were encouraging, and a large phase III trial is under way.
Original sourcenews.mit.eduResearch Library
What science says about our frequencies
Short, plain-language summaries of the studies and reports behind each VitaQon frequency, including the ones that disagree. Every card links to the original source.
28 sources
Frequency
Evidence levelMeta-analysisReviewRandomized trialActive researchPilot / lab studyObservationalAnimal studyMixed / counter-evidenceEarth physicsAcousticsTradition
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40 HzAnimal study
Gamma flicker lowers amyloid in mice
One hour a day of light flickering at 40 Hz lowered amyloid-β in the visual cortex of Alzheimer’s model mice. The study that started the field; animal data only.
Original sourcedoi.org · nature.com0.5 HzPilot / lab study
Sound pulses deepen slow-wave sleep
Soft clicks timed to the brain’s own slow waves (about 0.8 Hz) during deep sleep strengthened those waves and improved overnight word-pair memory.
Original sourceresearch.uni-luebeck.de6 Hz10 Hz14 HzMeta-analysis
Binaural beats: a meta-analysis of 22 studies
Rhythmic “binaural beat” audio had an overall medium effect (g = 0.45) on anxiety, memory, attention and pain perception. Results depended on the frequency, the listening time and when people listened.
Original sourcepubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov432 HzPilot / lab study
432 Hz vs 443 Hz and heart rate
In a randomized cross-over trial with 43 participants, 15-minute sound sessions tuned to 432 Hz lowered heart rate slightly more than 443 Hz. The authors call the comparison exploratory.
Original sourcedoi.org · biomedcentral.com7.83 HzEarth physics
Schumann resonance: the Earth’s own frequency
A real, very faint electromagnetic resonance between the Earth and the ionosphere, strongest near 7.83 Hz. Predicted in 1952 and measured worldwide since; its effect on people has not been tested in controlled trials.
Original sourcearxiv.org40 HzMixed / counter-evidence
Replication: no gamma entrainment, no amyloid drop
An independent lab could not reproduce the 2016 mouse result: 40 Hz light did not drive gamma waves deep in the brain or lower amyloid. Listed so the picture stays honest.
Original sourcedoi.org · nature.com528 HzPilot / lab study
528 Hz music and stress hormones
A small Japanese pilot with 9 participants found lower stress-hormone levels after music tuned to 528 Hz than after 440 Hz. Larger studies have not been done yet.
Original sourcescirp.org6 Hz10 Hz14 HzMixed / counter-evidence
Do binaural beats entrain the brain?
A systematic review of 14 EEG studies: 5 supported brainwave entrainment, 8 contradicted it and 1 was mixed. The authors call the evidence inconsistent.
Original sourcencbi.nlm.nih.gov111 HzPilot / lab study
The 110 Hz resonance of ancient chambers
Stone chambers thousands of years old resonate at about 110–111 Hz. In a UCLA pilot with 30 adults, a 110 Hz tone shifted EEG activity in language- and emotion-related regions compared with nearby tones.
Original sourcedoi.org · tandfonline.com136.1 HzTradition
OM, the Earth-year tone
Hans Cousto’s “Cosmic Octave” raises the frequency of one Earth year by 32 octaves to 136.1 Hz. Widely used for OM chanting and tuning forks; no clinical studies.
Original sourcefishersci.com174 Hz – 963 HzTradition
The Solfeggio scale
Nine tones popularised in the 1990s and now central to meditation music. Apart from the small 528 Hz pilot there are no controlled studies. Offered as a sound experience, not a treatment.
Original sourcencbi.nlm.nih.gov40 HzRandomized trial
OVERTURE: 69 % less brain-volume loss
In a six-month randomized, sham-controlled trial, one hour of 40 Hz stimulation a day cut whole-brain volume loss by 69 % compared with sham, consistently across age and disease stage. Conference report by the device maker; a phase III trial is under way.
Original sourcedoi.org · wiley.com528 Hz432 HzRandomized trial
528 Hz before exams: brain-health markers
In a randomized study with 162 students, 20 minutes of 528 Hz music before an exam gave the highest levels of the plasticity marker CREB and the lowest cellular-stress marker in saliva. 432 Hz showed a different pattern; attention scores were similar in all groups.
Original sourcedoi.org · wiley.com40 HzRandomized trial
First home trial of 40 Hz light and sound
People with mild Alzheimer’s used a 40 Hz device at home for one hour a day. Over about four months, the active group kept more brain volume and connectivity and improved on a face-name memory test, with no serious side effects.
Original sourcedoi.org · plos.org0.5 HzPilot / lab study
Deep-sleep sounds help memory in older adults
Adults aged 60 to 84 heard soft sound pulses timed to their slow waves during one night and sham on another. Slow-wave activity rose while the sounds played, and overnight word recall improved more than on the sham night.
Original sourcedoi.org · frontiersin.org40 HzAnimal study
40 Hz sound alone helps memory in mice
One week of 40 Hz tones, one hour a day, improved spatial and recognition memory and reduced amyloid in Alzheimer’s model mice. Sound combined with light reached even wider brain areas.
Original sourcedoi.org · cell.com432 HzPilot / lab study
432 Hz music and sleep
In a double-blind cross-over pilot, patients with spinal cord injuries listened to their favourite music for 30 minutes a day. Sleep scores improved significantly with the 432 Hz version, not with 440 Hz.
Original sourcedoi.org · mattioli1885journals.com7.83 HzObservational
The heart and the Earth’s resonance
Heart-rate variability of 16 people was recorded for 72 hours every week over five months. When Schumann-resonance power was higher, heart rate was lower and HRV patterns linked to relaxation were stronger. A correlation, not proof of cause.
Original sourcedoi.org · nature.com6 HzPilot / lab study
Theta rhythm restores working memory in older adults
25 minutes of gentle brain stimulation tuned to each person’s theta rhythm (about 7 Hz) brought older adults’ working-memory accuracy up to the level of people in their twenties. The gain lasted at least 50 minutes. Electrical, not sound, stimulation.
Original sourcedoi.org · nature.com136.1 HzPilot / lab study
OM chanting calms the emotional brain
In an fMRI pilot, chanting OM quieted activity in emotion-related brain areas, including the amygdala and hippocampus, compared with rest; a simple “ssss” sound did not. A study of the chant, not of the 136.1 Hz tone itself.
Original sourcedoi.org · ijoy.org.in14 HzPilot / lab study
Beta-range beats sharpen vigilance
During a 30-minute attention task, listeners exposed to beta-range binaural beats (16–24 Hz) detected more targets, made fewer false alarms and reported a better mood than with slower theta/delta beats.
Original sourcepubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov40 HzAnimal study
How 40 Hz helps the brain clean itself
40 Hz light and sound boosted the brain’s “glymphatic” clean-up system in mice: more fluid flowed through brain tissue and more amyloid was cleared. The study maps a concrete mechanism for the effect.
Original sourcedoi.org · nature.com6 Hz10 Hz14 HzReview
Beat stimulation, cognition and mood: a review
Across studies, the most consistent result was lower anxiety after binaural-beat listening, including before surgery. Effects on memory, attention and mood depended on the frequency and the set-up.
Original sourcedoi.org · frontiersin.org111 HzAcoustics
The sound of Malta’s Hypogeum
Acoustic measurements in the 5,000-year-old Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum found a double resonance at 70 Hz and 114 Hz in the “Oracle Room”. A male voice at these pitches makes the whole underground complex resonate.
Original sourceum.edu.mt40 HzReview
40 Hz in humans: where the research stands
A review of human 40 Hz studies: the stimulation is safe, well tolerated and can entrain gamma rhythms, and several trials report cognitive or sleep-rhythm benefits. Larger, longer trials are needed to confirm them.
Original sourcedoi.org · frontiersin.org136.1 HzObservational
Sound meditation and mood
After a singing-bowl sound meditation, 62 adults reported clearly less tension, anger, fatigue and low mood, and higher spiritual well-being. Newcomers felt the biggest drop in tension. No control group.
Original sourcedoaj.org10 Hz40 HzPilot / lab study
Alpha and gamma beats and creativity
10 Hz and 40 Hz binaural beats changed divergent, “many ideas” thinking. Who benefited depended on each person’s natural dopamine level, estimated from blink rate.
Original sourcedoi.org · frontiersin.orgVitaQon is inspired by the growing body of frequency research. Here we summarise independent studies in plain language and link every original source, so you can read them for yourself. VitaQon is a sound and wellbeing experience designed to bring calm, focus and balance to your room. It is not a medical device and does not replace medical care.