Claim reviewed: Monaural beats and isochronic tones relax listeners or help them focus.
What do we know?
Monaural beats produce a measurable EEG response at the beat rate; in a 16-person study it was stronger than for binaural beats, while mood did not change. The linked sources have no EEG data for isochronic tones. In people prone to mind wandering, monaural theta beats reduced mind wandering compared with a sine tone; a reduction compared with silence appeared only in a subgroup.
What don't we know?
Very few controlled studies test effects on relaxation or focus directly. In a surgical trial with 90 patients in Türkiye, isochronic tones did not reduce anxiety compared with no sound.
Wording we use in the app: Evidence for effects on relaxation or focus is insufficient; we offer it as a listening experience.
Sources (3)
Orozco Perez ve ark. 2020 · Experiment · 16 participants
In a 16-person EEG experiment, both binaural and monaural beats produced a brainstem response at the tone frequencies and a cortical response at the beat frequency; the cortical response to binaural beats was weaker than to monaural beats. Neither stimulus changed mood.
Orozco Perez HD, Dumas G, Lehmann A. Binaural Beats through the Auditory Pathway: From Brainstem to Connectivity Patterns. eNeuro. 2020;7(2):ENEURO.0232-19.2020. doi:10.1523/ENEURO.0232-19.2020 PMID 32066611 Go to source
Akkurt ve Ekici 2026 · Randomised controlled trial · 90 participants
In 90 patients undergoing impacted lower third molar surgery in Türkiye, neither binaural beats nor isochronic tones reduced anxiety compared with no sound; only isolated physiological differences appeared. Of the patients who received sound, 78.3% said they would prefer it again in future procedures.
No significant between-group differences in pre- or postoperative anxiety scores
In press; no volume or pages yet.
Akkurt O, Ekici Ö. Effect of binaural beats and isochronic tones on anxiety during impacted mandibular third molar surgery: a randomized controlled trial. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2026. doi:10.1016/j.ijom.2026.07.006 PMID 42471303 Go to source
Chaieb ve ark. 2022 · Experiment
In participants with a high tendency to mind-wander, mind wandering fell significantly during monaural theta beats compared with a sine tone; a reduction compared with silence appeared only in a subgroup selected with stricter criteria. The authors report that the main hypothesis was only partly confirmed.
Chaieb L, Krakau S, Reber TP, Fell J. Modulation of Mind Wandering Using Monaural Beat Stimulation in Subjects With High Trait-Level Mind Wandering. Front Psychol. 2022;13:815442. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.815442 PMID 35769725 Go to source
Last reviewed: 3 October 2026 · Next review: 3 April 2027