What is bioacoustic correction and does it work?

Bioacoustic correction is a method that has no evidence of effectiveness, which was invented in St. Petersburg.

In the “ Yod ” telegram channel we tell you how to take care of your health based on evidence-based medicine.

During a typical session, sensors are placed on the client’s head and electroencephalography is performed to measure bioelectrical activity in the brain. A special program converts the received data into music, which is played on the person’s headphones. As a result, the patient sits on the couch for 10–20 minutes and listens to how “his brain works.”

Clinics offer clients treatment for a variety of conditions using bioacoustic correction:

• vegetative-vascular dystonia,
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
• insomnia,
• post-traumatic stress disorder,
• hypertension and consequences of stroke,
• asthma,
• coronary heart disease,
• metabolic syndrome,
• psoriasis and atopic dermatitis,
• gastritis, colitis and stomach ulcers.

Some private clinics even claim that bioacoustic correction will be useful for autism, as well as delayed speech and mental development in children.

There is also an opinion that BAC is suitable for use in combination with other treatment methods. This supposedly speeds up recovery, allowing you to reduce the number of medications you take. Or give them up completely.

Take note

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How bioacoustic correction should work

Proponents of this supposedly effective method rely on the brain’s ability to control the activity and functioning of the body. Thus, they believe that only through willpower can a person relax and be less nervous or slow down his heartbeat. And bioacoustic correction is designed to help with this.

The basic idea is that patients do not need to consciously monitor their physiological parameters. It is enough to listen to music, which supposedly activates the necessary parts of the brain, and a person will feel better. A magic pill, no less.

Those who offer to undergo the procedure also convince that if there are abnormalities in the electroencephalography, the melody will initially seem unpleasant. But bioacoustic correction will correct this too. With the reverse effect of sound on the brain, the body must regulate the processes itself. And then the music will become harmonious. In fact, you will never know what exactly was turned on in your headphones. Perhaps it was a pre-recorded sample that had no effect on the brain.

Does bioacoustic correction really work?

We have not found any international clinical recommendations advising the use of bioacoustic correction. But in Russian journals there are many studies of the procedure. True, most publications are not indexed by international databases of scientific publications. And those that are included in the systems are assigned the lowest quartile—the rating of demand by the scientific community. This means that the journal mainly contains articles of low quality that do not represent scientific value.

There are also many questions about the results of studies on bioacoustic correction. For example, in one 1999 experiment, doctors asked combat veterans to undergo a procedure to reduce their levels of post-traumatic stress disorder. Their conclusions were as follows: bioacoustics is effective and should be used in military hospitals for rehabilitation. However, the study was too small for such a conclusion – only 30 people participated in it.

There are also questions about the design of scientific work: all subjects had different reactions to stress. This means that it was not very correct to compare the results of the participants. There were no control groups in the experiment: those who received a placebo instead of bioacoustic correction, and those who underwent traditional treatment.

In another study, scientists tried to identify the effect of bioacoustics on the health of people with coronary heart disease , hypertension and bronchial asthma. And yes, judging by their reports, the correction helped. People with ischemia reported 30% less chest pain than before the procedure, and those with asthma experienced symptoms 29% less often.

But again there are nuances. The subjects who underwent bioacoustic correction were at the same time undergoing rehabilitation. And it will not be possible to draw conclusions about what exactly helped them – supposedly innovative or traditional treatment. And the scientists’ conclusions are mainly based on patient complaints. That is, self-hypnosis and the placebo effect could have worked .

In a more recent study from 2020, scientists assessed the effect of bioacoustic correction on the stress levels of e-sports players after intense gaming. The authors of the work stated that the procedure reduces stress and helps players be more accurate and successful.

True, there were only 20 subjects – for such loud conclusions the number of participants seems insufficient. Scientists have not figured out how gamers usually cope with stress. It is quite possible that the group of subjects included people who, in general, “cool down” faster after the game. The conclusion about improved accuracy also seems dubious because the researchers did not check whether the subjects had played the character they were given before.

Proponents of bioacoustic correction tried to evaluate how the method works on children with metabolic syndrome – a condition in which blood pressure rises, fasting blood sugar levels rise, and fat accumulates in the liver and muscles. The results were excellent: after the procedure, the tone of the arterial system increased in 31% of subjects, and blood flow improved in 21%.

True, everyone who participated received classical treatment. These studies were also carried out in sanatoriums – places where a special nutrition plan was prepared for people with metabolic syndrome. And since the development of the disorder depends on weight, the reason for the improvement in the subjects’ condition could be simple weight loss.

There is also an opinion that BAC can be used for vegetative-vascular dystonia . Allegedly, this method helps restore the functioning of the central nervous system. Only the diagnosis of VSD itself is a junk diagnosis. In the latest edition of the International Classification of Diseases, which is used all over the world, there is no such disease.

Is it worth trying bioacoustic correction?

If you do, you’ll be wasting your money. The method has no proven effectiveness. Therefore, all you will get are EEG results, even without interpretation.

But unpleasant consequences, although rare, can occur. Not from listening to music, but from electroencephalography. These include skin rash and hair loss at the sites where the electrodes are attached, dizziness , tingling in the fingers when breathing deeply. And people with epilepsy may have a seizure during the procedure due to bright light.

What to do instead of bioacoustic correction

Evidence-based doctors advise sticking to more traditional methods: using steroid and antihistamine creams for atopic dermatitis , taking stomach acid-blocking medications for gastritis , taking medications prescribed by your doctor to lower your blood pressure .

People whose children are experiencing developmental delays should also not spend money on bioacoustic correction. Instead, it’s better to find someone who works with specific conditions:

• A teacher who specializesin teaching children with ASD or mental retardation, so that the child receives the necessary education in a form that is comfortable for him.
• Speech therapist or speech pathologist for children with speech delays .
• A psychiatrist or neurologist who, if necessary, will prescribe medications to correct hyperactivity, depressive symptoms and sleep disorders .

What to do if you have been prescribed bioacoustic correction

If the doctor insists on undergoing a course of procedures, you should look for another specialist to get effective, scientifically proven treatment.

If you live in a small town where there is no way to get to another doctor of the required profile, try contacting a neighboring town. Or sign up for an online consultation.